HOUSTON – (Aug. 31, 2017) – While Rice University is closed this week in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Rice students, faculty and staff have mobilized to help – both to assist victims of the devastating storm and to keep campus up and running.
Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders, Center for Civic Leadership, Student Association and Graduate Student Association have formed the Rice Harvey Action Team (R-HAT), a way to match volunteers with specific community needs in the coming weeks.
So far, more than 1,400 students have signed up to help, in addition to faculty and staff that have volunteered their time. Volunteers are working at local shelters (including NRG Center and the George R. Brown Convention Center) and the Houston Food Bank. At the Houston Food Bank, volunteers packaged 31,710 meals for victims in the first four hours of operations on August 31. Students also volunteered as part of demolition teams to help storm victims clear out damage.
Student volunteers can sign up throughout the semester at http://rhat.rice.edu.
Rice students have also pitched in on campus to assist with assessing the needs of Rice community members impacted by Hurricane Harvey and to support staff members to keep the campus up and running during the storm.
The school plans to reopen this Tuesday. The university has been closed since last Friday.
