Conroe, TX – Mar. 22- 28, 2026

Our final week before closing the MDS project in Conroe was jam-packed with activities. In addition to three home dedications, we had to take inventory and pack up all the things we had been using during the time the project was operating here and store them for the summer. This included all the kitchen equipment, linens, vehicles, tools & equipment, office supplies, and games & toys.

The highlight of the week, of course, was witnessing the gratitude of the house recipients at the 3 home dedications we were part of this week. One guest told me we couldn’t have picked a more deserving family as they were the kindest, most generous people they knew. We witnessed that when they offered to make a meal after the dedication for all of us in the MDS Conroe and MDS New Caney RV groups. When they were told that MDS would reimburse them for the food, they in turn gave that amount to the weekly volunteer group that had traveled from New York for the group to pay their expenses to go back home. Wow, what an act of generosity!

In addition to doing repair jobs at several different homes (tearing up carpet, installing flooring, painting, trim work, debris cleanup), this last week included putting the final touches on the new houses: touch-up painting, installing blinds and doorknobs, and deep cleaning.

A really fun part of the week for the 11 weekly volunteers was pairing up with one of the 11 children who will be occupying the new homes to fill backpacks and lunch bags with school supplies and other useful items for them.  Several of the volunteers were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to deliver the backpacks in person that they had filled for the child they had chosen.

All in all, it was a great collaboration with Hope Disaster Recovery which works in underserved communities in the Greater Houston and East Texas area.  In the aftermath of 4 different storm events that happened here in 2024 (flooding, straight-line winds, Hurricane Beryl, and a tornado), MDS was able to complete 5 new builds and 7 repair jobs while working here this winter.

Submitted by Linda Rush on behalf of the Conroe, TX, team