Multiple groups statewide are requesting donations to assist flood victims in the Texas Hill Country. The state has created a reporting system for damages and also provided information for Texans about how to avoid disaster assistance scams.
The primary relief organization coordinating donation efforts in the region is the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which created a Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.
It directs donated funds to organizations it claims to have vetted that provide rescue, relief and recovery efforts and flood assistance. Funding supports the communities of Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point and Comfort. All donations are tax-deductible.
It provides grants to nonprofit organizations, first responder agencies, and local governments actively involved in response, relief and recovery efforts. “While we are unable to award grants directly to individuals or families – or to fund repairs to private property or replace personal belongings – we are committed to channeling resources to the trusted organizations working tirelessly to help our neighbors in need,” it says.
Donations can be made online and mailed to its office at 241 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, Texas 78028.
The crowdsource site, GoFundMe, has published a list of “verified flood fundraisers and nonprofits providing on-the-ground support today to help” flood victims, including World Central Kitchen, the Salvation Army, Austin Pets Alive!, All Hands and Hearts, Mercy Chefs and Good360. It has also posted individual accounts from families requesting financial assistance to rebuild their homes or cover funeral costs.
Texans who suffered property damage are encouraged to report it through the state’s Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) damage survey. Information about damaged homes or businesses is encouraged to be reported at damage.tdem.texas.gov. Doing so is “vital to help officials identify impacted areas and connect Texans with resources,” Gov. Greg Abbott argues.
Abbott issued a disaster declaration for the counties of Bandera, Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Coke, Comal, Concho, Gilliespie, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McColloch, Menard, Reeves, San Saba, Tom Green, Travis, and Williamson.
Qualifying Texans in Kerry County are eligible for the FEMA Individual Assistance program after the Trump administration already approved a federal disaster declaration for the county. Residents from additional counties may also be eligible later on.
FEMA’s Individual Assistance program provides funding assistance for temporary housing, emergency home repairs, uninsured and underinsured personal property losses, disaster legal services, disaster unemployment assistance, and medical, dental, and funeral expenses caused by the disaster. Applications may be submitted online or by calling 800-621-3362.
One of the most well-recognized relief efforts statewide has been organized by Texas-based grocery store, H-E-B. Its Spirit of Giving Fund funnels 100% of proceeds and donations to flood victims. Texans have been posting videos and pictures on social media of H-E-B truck drivers hauling supplies to the Hill Country.
Food donations can also be made through the Central Texas Food Bank & Partners through a local mobile food pantry by calling 855-366-3401.
Many churches have requested monetary donations and gift cards claiming they will be given directly to victims. Several community groups and independent school districts are organizing “gift card drives” claiming “all donations go to the families affected by the Kerr County floods,” without providing details. Others are requesting supplies, non-perishable foods to be dropped off to ISDs and churches in cities hundreds of miles away from the Hill Country claiming they will be “distributed accordingly.”
Many local news outlets statewide are publishing a range of charities and individuals requesting monetary and in-kind donations. Authorities have encouraged Texans to vet the organizations and review information posted by the Office of Attorney General about a range of scams that can occur during and after disasters and emergencies. “When a natural or man-made emergency strikes, Texans generally support each other to overcome adversity. But unscrupulous individuals will try to take advantage of tragedy. Be on the lookout for price gouging … and other post-emergency scams that may arise,” the AG’s Consumer Protection Bureau warns.
