Angels and Elves Ministry Helps with Disaster Relief Efforts
By Cheril Vernon
Messenger Copy Editor
Last year around the holidays, Crockett teenager Caitlyn Mares wanted to find a way to help make the holidays brighter for local senior citizens in need.
With the help of her mom, Kathy Murphy, the little “Angels and Elves” project Mares started ended up providing a Christmas turkey, food and gifts to more than 20-plus families.
When Hurricane Harvey hit Southeast Texas, Mares – a senior at Torchlight Prepartory Academy in Crockett – wanted to do something again to help those in need – this time for hurricane victims.
“We had already started collecting stuff for Christmas when Harvey hit. Caitlyn said we needed to do something, so we started collecting,” Murphy said.
The two decided they would collect donations – asking local resident Joseph Musick, who was making a trip to deliver supplies to the areas in need, if he would take their items down there as well.
“It was just amazing what started to come. Caitlyn spent this week collecting donations and then we sent what we had with what they collected to take down there,” Murphy said. “This morning (Friday, Sept. 1), they took a 26-foot Uhaul® down there along with a truck and trailer.”
Among the items collected ‑ thanks to several donors ‑ were several cases of diapers, formula, rice cereal, baby food; new socks, t-shirts and underwear for men and women; hygiene items such as deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, feminine products and hand sanitizer; towels, pillows and blankets.
The items were dropped off at a Conroe warehouse that is being used as a centralized drop point for the hurricane victims.
“Caitlyn wanted to do blessing bags, so we put the personal hygiene items in bags along with a donated pocket Bible,” Murphy said. “If nothing else, you can find some Scripture and faith to lean on.”
The women were delighted with the response they received for contributions and donations.
“We were pretty amazed. We had put it on there Monday on Facebook that we wanted to contribute to something, but nobody had anything going on. Then we came across Joseph’s post, so we started collecting things and partnered up with them,” Murphy said. “It definitely makes you feel good, but that’s not why you do it. Anyone who helped with this – when you ask them – it’s not about how it makes you feel or what’s in it for you. It’s about what are you doing to help somebody else. It’s what can you do to help your community, then your blessings will come to you.”
One particular donor donated money to go toward helping animals in need.
“We were told the items that people didn’t think about was kitty litter and cat food. When people think about helping animals, dogs and horses come to the forefront, but cats are sometimes forgotten, and kitty litter is a necessity.”
Overall, through their experiences collecting items for local families in need at Christmas and helping hurricane victims, Murphy said they were overwhelmed by local people’s generosity.
“This community, this county is pretty amazing. When things happen, people will come together and they will do what it takes to come together,” Murphy said. “It’s been so wonderful seeing people in groups getting together and making trips to help the victims. I am in awe of some of the biggest heroes, the ones from small places, who brought their personal vehicles and boats and rescued people. Nobody will probably ever know what they did, but I am in awe.”
The women’s desire to join others to help their fellow Texans in need is not over.
“The plight that these people affected by the hurricane face is not going to be remedied by a week of donations. It’s going to be long term.,” Murphy said. “If we do take something on, we will probably do it on a local level and see what their individual needs are.”
