Plumbing repairs focus on Waco’s partnership with nonprofits in the aftermath of winter storm | Local government. and politics

“I had a breaking point with the girls. I was like ‘I can’t handle this alone,’ ”McCauley said.

Waco Habitat for Humanity director John Alexander said the newly formed repair program is intended for emergency needs, primarily to fix plumbing and restore water service to people. Insurance or disaster assistance through federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is expected to play the most important role in funding repairs.

“We hope that life and health insurance or FEMA will be able to meet these needs,” Alexander said.

McCauley said she will still have to fix broken pipes and water damage in her kitchen, which she said was surprised to learn that her national Lloyds insurance plan did not cover.

“They had to rip the plinth out of the house and we still have to figure out what to do next,” McCauley said.

Jesus Said Love and Antioch donated food and water, and Magnolia and the city of Waco dropped off more bottled water on Thursday. McCauley said he heard about the repair program from Jason Ramos, director of Impact Waco Antioch Ministries.

On Thursday, a day after launch, Waco Habitat for Humanity received a completed application that turned into a city, Alexander said.

“Habitat has done a lot of work along the coast since the hurricanes, and of course these are on a larger scale,” Alexander said. “They get a lot more donations, the scope of the projects was much bigger. For Waco Habitat, this is the first emergency response we have ever undertaken.