Donate to These Organizations to Help Texas During the Power Outage

This week, freezing temperatures and massive snowfall beset swaths of the United States, including areas where such weather is uncharacteristic. Without the infrastructure in place for phenomena like these, said regions face tremendous danger. This particular episode sees Texas in the throes of a major crisis. Since Monday night, much of Texas—one of the only states with an independent energy grid—has gone without power. Millions of stateside homes continue to lack electricity and heat through the ongoing polar vortex.

CNBC TelevisionOpens in a new tab

In absence of due protection from the government agencies responsible for such matters, independent organizations work to keep the people of Texas safe in this time of need. Below are a few resources currently expending effort toward this challenge; some focus their energies on the unhoused, and further still on pets.

First, let’s start with this excellent and extensive roundup of resources provided on Twitter. Within, you’ll find links to warming stations, food banks, and more.

This articleOpens in a new tab from Eater Austin also includes several Austin-specific resources to help feed people in need. (Some of these are listed in the breakouts below, as well.)

Local Mutual Aids

One simple and straightforward way to help those in need is by donating to local mutual aids. In spring 2020Opens in a new tab, civilian-run organizations like these helped keep their neighbors safe and fed amid the swelling COVID-19 pandemic. Below are a few such examples and their corresponding Venmo accounts:

Austin Mutual Aid — FacebookOpens in a new tab, InstagramOpens in a new tab, and Venmo: @austinmutualaidhotels

Dallas Mutual Aid — FacebookOpens in a new tab, TwitterOpens in a new tab, InstagramOpens in a new tab, and Venmo: @feedthepeopledallas

Houston Mutual Aid — WebsiteOpens in a new tab, TwitterOpens in a new tab, InstagramOpens in a new tab, and Venmo: @mutualaidhou

North Texas Mutual Aid — WebsiteOpens in a new tab and FacebookOpens in a new tab

Local Shelters

Shelters throughout Texas are doing their best to provide sanctuary for those in need. First, you can dial “211” to find the warming station nearest to you or search online hereOpens in a new tab. You can find another complete list of warming stations hereOpens in a new tab.

The South Alamo Regional Alliance for Homelessness Facebook pageOpens in a new tab offers a list of active shelters; as does Austin Is Safer When’s InstagramOpens in a new tab. Several of these institutions are open to donations.

Additionally, Austin’s Solid Ground MinistryOpens in a new tab opened its doors to the unhoused this week; the latter website offers avenues for volunteer work and donation. Ditto that of the organization Our CallingOpens in a new tab, which funds a number of Dallas-Fort Worth-based shelters; San Antonio’s Haven for HopeOpens in a new tab as well.

Food, Water, and More

As is typical, the housing insecure are hit the hardest in times like these. The Austin Area Urban League is funneling donationsOpens in a new tab to the region’s most in want of food, water, shelter, and the like. The Way HomeOpens in a new tab is doing the same across Houston. If you have the capacity to donate material items like blankets, you can try Front StepsOpens in a new tab.

The Texas Alliance of Child and Family ServicesOpens in a new tab is a non-profit working with different child-serving organizations around the state, focusing on relief efforts to aid those caring for foster children.

Pet Shelters

It can prove especially difficult to care for animals in periods of extreme weather. The Austin-based pet shelter Austin Pets Alive! is working to provide shelter, comfort, and care for local pets. This institution has put a call out for additional resources, both concreteOpens in a new tab and monetaryOpens in a new tab.

These are just a select few ways to help; The Texas Tribune has a longer list of resourcesOpens in a new tab that we recommend reviewing.