How to Help Marginalized and Vulnerable People in Texas
Lyndon B Johnson National Grassland, Texas. Photo by Jared Evans on Unsplash.
Millions of people have experienced intense winter storms from Nashville to Oregon this year. But the bottom is falling out in Texas after plummeting temperatures caused a huge power failure within the state's independent power grid. This, on top of months of pandemic-related stress and economic woes, has Texans are wondering: Where's the safety net?
We'll need to rally to help the most vulnerable with the most basic — but critical — needs: warmth, water, a place to sleep, things to eat. If you have a few bucks to spare, look into an organization doing good work and get money to them fast. We've been keeping up with a few grassroots organizations that accept easy Venmo, PayPal, or Cashapp donations:
Lucha Dallas, a collective working to support the BIPOC community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. (@luchadallas on Venmo)
Feed the People DTX Mutual, a Black- and Latinx-run community grocery program offering storm relief (food and funds) throughout Dallas-Fort Worth. (@feedthepeopledallas on Venmo)
Houston Community Fridges, a coalition to end homelessness that provides grocery services and meals to women and non-binary folks. (@hochtx on PayPal)
Austin Mutual Aid, a community collective booking hotel rooms for unhoused Austinites and organizing care packages. (@austinmutualaid and @austinmutualaidhotels on Venmo)
Para Mi Gente, a San Antonio-based, Latinx-led mutual aid group helping with hotel bookings and supplies. Follow until they start accepting donations again. ($pmgmutualaid on Cashapp)
Learn More About Charitable Giving
As always, The New York Times has a terrific list of additional resources. Dallas-based D Magazine published a list of organizations in dire need of help.
Grassroots organizations have proliferated during COVID-19. Now they are extending their reach to help folks during emergencies. Be sure to check the spelling in your Venmo handles before hitting send.
Giving in wake of a disaster is a marathon, not a sprint. Folks will be displaced and distressed for a long while. Do what you can now and later.