Last month, thousands of homes were impacted by severe flooding in the greater Houston area. Among those residents affected was John Minor, a Home Depot associate and Army Reservist of Magnolia, Texas.
Team Rubicon launched Operation Moonshot on April 23 to assist homeowners with the immediate needs, such as debris removal and muck out services. Their forward operating base (FOB) is currently stationed in the Home Depot lot in Houston near Tomball, Texas, and the local store manager informed Team Rubicon’s leadership that John was in great need of assistance.
The following day, a strike team comprised of TR and Team Depot members got to work on John’s home. They removed flooded furniture, carpet, and drywall while salvaging the items they could.
Nine-year Army veteran Cristina Cline led the team on their assignment for the day and wrote about their experience serving John, his two children, and his girlfriend Holly:
“As a fellow soldier and parent, I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to feel like your ability to care for your home and your family is somewhat out of your hands. Regardless of how young, overwhelmed, and frustrated John might have been, he never stopped working (both on his home and maintaining his responsibilities at work), never lost his sense of humor or engagement, and he and Holly never stopped expressing their gratitude.”
Before his 9 p.m. shift at Home Depot, members of Team Rubicon invited John to stop by the FOB and get to know the team, as many mentioned his admirable demeanor and work ethic. He swung by, swapped a few hugs and laughs, and left an impression with the team and pledged to volunteer when things settled down.
A lot of work lies ahead in the rebuilding process for John, but his drive and new found community helped bridge the gap.
