Funds needed to help

By Juliette Coulter

A truly terrible week in Texas has ended, but for many, including many of you, there’s no end in sight. We’re a long way from “getting back to normal,” given the continuing issues with lack of power, unsafe water supplies, food and water shortages, and too many folks unable to be in their own homes due to the storm and its aftermath.

So many are struggling, and in fact are facing more challenges this week. Will schools reopen? When? Will the plumber get to my place? When? Do we have enough water, food, supplies? When can we get more? Can I safely return to my apartment or home? When? The weeks to come will also be tough and traumatic, because the needs are monumental, and the same people who have borne the brunt of the pandemic and economic meltdown — especially vulnerable low-income women of color with families — are those who are suffering most acutely.

Texas Women’s Foundation (TWF) is distributing $160,000 in grants and resources this week. This first group of grants supports agencies that sustained facilities damage, including burst pipes and fallen ceilings; those who were forced to evacuate people or close down; those providing utility assistance and home/apartment repairs and replacement; and those providing health care services, particularly mental health services, which are in critically high demand. TWF is raising every dollar it can through its Resilience Fund to provide more support next week, and the week after, and in the months ahead. TWF has identified more than $1.5 million in expressed needs from grantee partners, and that number is rising daily. The needs are monumental. Please help. Donate to the Resilience Fund by visiting txwf.org/.