This story is part of our “Reasons to Love Houston” package, published in the Spring 2025 issue.

Natural disasters are an unfortunate side effect of life in Houston, with catastrophes occurring on a seemingly annual basis now (so much for those 500-year floodplains). If there’s one skill we’ve perfected over the decades, it’s how to support each other in our darkest moments.

→ Sugar Land–based Pizza Hut owner Shayda Habib proved herself to be one of the bravest food deliverers around after Hurricane Harvey. Along with her husband and a few employees, she loaded up some kayaks and donated hot pizzas to hungry neighbors, many of whom were trapped in their homes by floodwaters.

→ The Houston chapters of Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Socialists of America volunteered to muck and gut houses damaged during Harvey. It’s backbreaking work, involving cleaning out severely flooded homes to make sure they’re ready for renovations and repairs.

→ With floodwaters come mosquitoes, and with mosquitoes come an increased risk of diseases such as West Nile. Rescuing bats helps more than just the cute, fuzzy critters: It’s an investment in public (human) health. Many Houstonians who love the massive Waugh Bridge Bat Colony mourned the loss of thousands of Mexican freetail bats during Harvey, but Erica Quinzel, a Bat World Sanctuary volunteer, was able to save about 400, making sure the colony eventually rebuilt itself and kept gorging on pests.

→ During the COVID-19 pandemic, a Facebook group called Woodlands Area Foodies organized a fundraiser to make sure local restaurant workers were able to keep paying their bills while in quarantine. Organizer Albert Nurick raised thousands of dollars and responded to hundreds of aid requests.

→ Chef Chris Williams of Lucille’s launched the nonprofit Lucille’s 1913 in 2020, allowing his staff to keep working while feeding homebound individuals who faced food insecurity during the lockdowns.

→ Members of the 95-union-strong Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation volunteered in Fifth Ward, Kashmere Gardens, Spring Branch, and Denver Harbor following the derecho in May 2024, removing trees, repairing broken pipes, and helping get residents’ lives back on track.

→ Tomball resident Veronica Marin rescued Bryan Pederson from his smashed SUV after a tree fell on it during the worst of the derecho winds. Pederson later went online to thank her, only to find that her home had been destroyed. To show his appreciation for saving his life, he set up a fundraiser and collected enough donations to buy a new home for Marin and her three kids.

→ After Hurricane Beryl knocked out electricity for nearly 3 million people, Brazos Bookstore lent a helping hand to those still without electricity who needed to communicate with family or get some work done by setting up a makeshift “internet café” equipped with charging stations and—most important—air-conditioning.

→ Even after losing power during Beryl herself, doula Sierra McClain organized the #WeGotUs campaign, partnering with Project Row Houses’ All Real Radio and Soul Food Vegan to distribute over 3,000 diapers and baby supplies to Third Ward mothers unable to access necessities.

→ CrowdSource Rescue helps partner people who need help after a cataclysmic event with others who have the resources to take care of the problem. For months after Beryl, they continued to provide free tree removals and other essential services, such as food, toiletries, and even insulin.