By Kate Walters

La Señora Magdalena Jaimes has a compound of three homes outside of Cleveland, Texas, where she has always lived with her three adult children and their families. When the floods came at the end of last month, the eleven family members were forced to escape their homes as the waters quickly rose around them. Despite living in separate houses, the Jaimes family has always stayed together, and they intend to keep it that way. Their homes may be flooded, but they will return as soon as possible to clean up and live together as one big family again.

Since the flooding began, they have been staying at the Pine Burr Elementary School shelter, where their immediate needs are being met while they wait for the floodwaters to recede. The Red Cross has been instrumental in providing support, helping Señora Jaimes obtain a much-needed blood pressure cuff and assisting her daughter Mariana in obtaining the proper formula for her baby Emiliano and a mobile play crib to ensure his safety and security.

Today, a special team of Red Cross volunteers known as the Shelter Resident Transition Team (SRT) has come to the shelter to help the family, and other shelter clients, find temporary housing where all eleven of them can stay together for a short period while they wait for the waters to recede and clean up their property to make their homes livable again.

“They (the Red Cross) definitely understand what we need and they’re helping us.” Says Mariana, “It’s just kind of scary because we thought we would be here for a short period of time and then we would go back home. But I think it’s going to take longer than we thought.”

In The Red Cross, the Shelter Resident Transition Team (SRT) is a specialized group focused on assisting individuals and families in transitioning from emergency shelters to more stable and long-term housing solutions. This team helps with the logistical, emotional, and practical aspects of moving from temporary shelter to a more permanent living situation, ensuring that those affected by disasters have the support they need during this critical period.