How To Help Texas Through The Winter Storm Aftermath

ACROSS TEXAS — Hundreds of thousands of Texans remained without power Thursday, four days after an unprecedented winter storm swept through the Southern United States, bringing with it snow, ice and bitterly cold temperatures.

Now, many Texans are without safe drinking water after the storms wreaked havoc on the state's power grid and utilities.

Officials have ordered 7 million people — a quarter of the population of the nation’s second-largest state — to boil tap water before drinking it, following days of record low temperatures that damaged infrastructure and froze pipes.

So far, the extreme weather that hit Texas has been blamed for the deaths of more than three dozen people, some of whom died while struggling to keep warm, The Associated Press reported. In the Houston area, one family succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to stay warm in a car. A woman and her three grandchildren died in a fire that authorities said might have been caused by a fireplace they were using.

While President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in Texas, many families struggling to find shelter, food, and warmth in the freezing conditions need help now.

Here are some ways you can help Texans affected by the winter storm:

1. Donate to a Texas food bank.

By Thursday, some Texans were waiting in hourslong lines at grocery stores and gas stations, only to find shelves empty. Meanwhile, food pantries are running out of supplies, and the freeze has wiped out a substantial portion of the state's citrus and vegetable crops, according to the Texas Tribune.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Texans were already struggling with hunger long before the winter storm arrived. Last year, Feeding America projected more than 5.4 million Texans were likely to experience food insecurity due to the pandemic. This means about 18.6 percent of the state's population was not getting enough food, an increase from 15 percent in 2018.

Celia Cole, CEO of the hunger-relief organization Feeding Texas, told the Tribune that so far, eight food banks have asked the state for extra help feeding their communities. Meanwhile, several others are providing supplies to emergency warming shelters in the state’s major cities.

In the coming days, food pantries will continue to play a critical role in feeding Texans. You can make a direct cash donation to food pantry networks including Feeding Texas, the Central Texas Food Bank, and the North Texas Food Bank. If you prefer to donate to a specific food pantry, Feeding Texas has a comprehensive list of food banks across the state, searchable by ZIP code.

2. Assist local organizations and nonprofits in helping their neighbors.

In Dallas, organizations including Austin Street Center, OurCalling, The Stewpot, Union Gospel Mission and Oak Lawn United Methodist Church are pooling funds to help pay for temporary shelter as well as COVID-19 rapid tests for those in need.

Caritas of Austin also helps those experiencing housing insecurity in the Austin area. You can support the organization by donating cash or by ordering items from their Amazon wish list and shipping them directly to the center.

The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition also compiled a list of ways you can help Austin and Travis County residents, which includes information on how to donate blankets, winter supplies, meals, snacks, monthly phone plans and more.

Other organizations you can support include:

• Mutual Aid Houston, Austin Mutual Aid or Feed the People Dallas. All are working to provide housing, food and other support to those in need.
• Crowdsource Rescue has been activated to help in Texas. The organization's Rescue Map is an interactive website that allows volunteers to connect directly with those in need.
• In Austin, the area Urban League has started the #LoveThyNeighborTX campaign to raise money for hotel rooms, food, water, clothing and other basic needs of housing insecure communities.
• Donate a care package or hygiene kit through the Integral Care Foundation, which can be shipped to Integral Care, 1430 Collier St., Austin, TX 78704.

3. Donate to national disaster relief organizations responding to the crisis.

National relief organizations are also responding to the crisis. The Salvation Army is providing shelter, food and other necessary items to those in need, while the American Red Cross in North Texas, Central and South Texas and the Gulf Coast region of Texas are also helping Texans through the emergency.

4. Help animals in need.

Animals are not immune to the deadly effects of the bitter winter weather. Over the last few days, volunteers from Sea Turtle Inc. on South Padre Island have been working tirelessly to save sea turtles that have been left paralyzed by the frigid weather. At Primarily Primates, a nonprofit animal sanctuary that provides care for hundreds of animals in Bexar County, 12 primates died after the facility lost power.

You can help animals in need by donating to organizations such as Austin Pets Alive!, SPCA of Texas and Operation Kindness.

5. Live in Texas or nearby? Lend your home.

Have a spare room or extra bed? You can participate in AirBnB's "Open Homes" program by opening your spare space to those in need. You can also donate directly to the program.

NoirBnB is offering a similar service, asking users to open their homes if they can. NoirBnB can be reached by email via Concierge@noirbnb.com.

Read More Coverage From Texas:

• Death Toll Rises As Record Freeze Continues Across Southern U.S.
• Austin Weather Latest: Snow, Ice Continue Thursday; Roads Closed
  
• Austin Water: 'We Do Not Have A Timeline' On Service Restoration
• Water Main Breaks In Downtown Austin: Police
• Winter Storm Update: Round Rock Sets Up Temporary Warming Center
• Gov. Greg Abbott Doesn’t Know When Suffering Texans Will Have Water Or Power Again