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I was born and raised in Texas, and it’s not an understatement to say that the infrastructure for this kind of weather does not exist. I was there in 2011 for the last winter storm, and I sure as heck didn’t know what I was doing. When I saw the ice on the car windshield, I went back inside the apartment trying to find something I could use to scrape the ice off (I heard credit cards are good??) without scratching the glass.
And then my husband presented me with an ice scraper specifically made for, well, scraping the ice off of the glass without causing damage. Unlike I, who’d never lived in a place with four seasons, my husband knew how to respond to the ice and even had specialized equipment at hand. With that tool, scraping off ice was as easy as wiping down a windshield at the gas station. By the next day, the snow that had fallen on the ground was already beginning to melt.
Unlike San Francisco, Texas was built for hot weather: Heavy-duty air conditioners and ceiling fans are a major thing (that being said, whenever San Francisco has a heat wave, I think about those air conditioners).
BIPOC, immigrants, the elderly, the disabled, and the homeless are often the communities that are hardest hit during the best of times. And now is not the best of times, which means that every little bit helps. And please, let’s not forget the children and parents who are caged within ICE facilities, who on a “normal” day are already mistreated. Facing adversity is never easy, but its even harder when you’re surrounded by strangers who are actively keeping you separated from your family. There’s nothing worse than feeling abandoned.
Below you will find a collection of links.
Dear Texas Peeps, my heart is with you <3
EMM
The Bridge | Amazon Wish List
Ending Community Homeless Coalition (ECHO)
Based in Austin/Travis County, their mission is “to provide dynamic, proactive leadership that engages policymakers and the community to end homelessness.”
La Monarca Foundation
A smaller organization based in Dallas, Texas that helps undocumented families in Texas.
https://lamonarcafoundation.org/
Family Eldercare
Situated in Central Texas (Austin and Georgetown), Family Eldercare “ensure that older adults, at-risk veterans, and adults with disabilities receive the care they need to thrive in their community.” They’ve been around since 1982. The link below will take you to their donation page set up specifically because of the winter storm.
https://www.familyeldercare.org/
Houston Food Bank
Founded in 1982, the “Houston Food Bank distributes food and other essentials to those in need through a network of 1,500 community partners.” They also “provide programs and services aimed at helping families achieve long-term stability including nutrition education, job training, health management, and help in securing state-funded assistance.” They have a great winter storm page with information for those who need help and those who want to help. There is also a useful map to help you find Houston Food Bank near you.
March for Our Lives Texas has compiled a document with updated resources for certain areas in Texas. Este documento esta disponible en español.
You can find the document in their LinkTree under “Updated Resources for Texas Winter Storm.”
Angry Tias & Abuelas donation link to help asylum seekers along the Texas border:
A useful list of mutual aid organizations by Austin Mutual Aid.
