The July Fourth weekend turned tragic as torrential downpours quickly turned into deadly Texas floods, taking the lives of dozens of children and adults in the central region of the state. Even as search and rescue missions are underway, the official death toll is still unknown, and there is more rain on the horizon in Kerr County.
Particularly devastating are the stories coming out of Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girl’s summer camp where most young campers and their counselors were able to evacuate to higher ground, but more than two dozen remain unaccounted for.
If you’re looking for a way to help the communities directly impacted by these devastating Texas floods as they repair and rebuild, here are some organizations providing on-the-ground resources.
Kerr County Relief Fund
Money given to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund will be routed to local government agencies, first responder organizations, and nonprofits, not to individuals or to replace lost or broken property. All donations are tax deductible.
Click here to donate any amount.
The Red Cross
The Red Cross has a vast network of services across the country, including across Texas, and is working in the affected areas (see their statement on the floods here), so while you can’t donate directly to this particular issue, you can donate to their “disaster relief” program if that’s how you feel moved to support and know that the organization has a long and reputable history of providing aid where it’s needed most.
Donate here.
Verified GoFundMes
If you would rather donate directly to affected families, GoFundMe has set up a landing page for fundraisers connected to the floods. Some are raising money to help dislocated families, replace flooded or destroyed homes, and a few tragic cases are raising money to defray funeral costs for those who lost their lives in the wreckage.
Click here to see the fundraisers.
Kerrville Pets Alive
Kerrville Pets Alive, along with Austin Pets Alive, are on the ground in the affected area doing search and rescue work to find displaced animals, reunite them with their owners, take care of the sick and injured, and house homeless animals until things settle down. They are feeding, driving, and fostering animals in need. And they take PayPal!
Click here to donate.
Texas Search and Rescue
Search and Rescue is a volunteer on-the-ground team that uses drones, K-9 units, rafts, and more to comb large areas in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Donate here.
Southern Oaks Church
Southern Oaks in Kerrville has opened its doors as a donation center for affected families and is now at capacity for physical donations; per Instagram, the church has started giving out gift cards so that families can buy what they need right now. You can donate directly to their program on their website by clicking “River Flood Relief Fund” in the drop-down menu.
Donate here.
This is a developing story and this post may be updated.
Read the full article here
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