YMCA Chaplain Travels to Houston in Wake of Harvey

Day 4 – September 13, 2017

“Over the last three days, Nancy Abbott, chaplain for the San Antonio YMCA, and I visited 14 YMCAs to love and care for the staff of the Houston YMCA. After we encouraged them and prayed with them, we gave them each a bracelet to remind them to ask God when they need help and remind them that YMCAs acrross the country are praying for them now and in the weeks to come.” – Josh Heaston

Day 3 – September 12, 2017

Day 2 – September 11, 2017

“Today I met, listened to, encouraged and prayed for two amazing young YMCA leaders at the Houston YMCA, Adam Spiegel and Jon Kidwell. They opened up their YMCAs as shelters for the community and emergency workers to eat, sleep and shower.” – Josh Heaston

Chaplin Heaston will love, serve, care for families devastated by Hurricane Harvey

September 8, 2017

The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis will send its chaplain, Josh Heaston, director of Christian emphasis, to Houston for five days, Sept. 10 – 14, to love, serve and care for YMCA staff and their family members who’ve been affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Josh will be joined by a chaplain from the YMCA in San Antonio. Their job is to physically and spiritually care for YMCA families who’ve suffered great loss. They will give lots of hugs, prayers and support to those who need it.

Heaston also serves on the board of the U.S. Mission Network, a nationwide network of 66 YMCA chaplains dedicated to helping Ys across America live out their Christian mission.

YMCA of Houston exemplifies what it means to be a YMCA

Four YMCAs in Houston have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Two others are only partially opened due to the flooding. Even with these challenges, the YMCA of Houston is stepping up to assist its neighbors:

• YMCA of Houston may house some of the 30,000 National Guardsman who’ve been deployed to the area.
• They will provide Child Watch in locations across the city next week so parents can go back to work or handle their flood issues.
• The YMCA of Houston filled school buses with backpacks so children who’ve lost theirs to the flood can have new ones.
• They have paid out $200,000 donations to 129 YMCA families who’ve suffered damage from Harvey and have opened the resident camp up as a shelter for up to 500 YMCA staffers and their families.

To help:

Visit YMCA Harvey Relief Efforts or text the word HOUSTON to 91999 to make a donation. Funds will provide basic needs for families and individuals who come to YMCA for assistance

Media Contact: Christy Glesing, APR, Sr. director of PR and communications | (317) 667-5991