Photo from Central Texas Foodbank
When Winter Storm Uri caused a state-wide power outage and trapped millions of Texans in the dark and cold, government leaders left them for dead. Indeed, the storm caused dozens of deaths so far. While U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, State Attorney General Ken Paxton, and other state and federal political leaders used their privileges to flee to warmer climates, millions of Texans were left to our own devices to survive. Even in their cowardly and selfish absence, we witnessed an incredible mass mobilization of community, love, and vigilance that took shape in both formal and informal mutual aid networks.
Support from people like you is what keeps mutual aid work effective, efficient, and lasting. Check this list for organizations near you to see how you can help.
Neighbors took in neighbors. People shared food, water, generators, toiletries: anything and everything in order to survive. A massive informal army of every kind of person, from neighbors to organizers, mobilized to save literally thousands of lives across Texas. And it's on-going.
All the while, folks across Texas involved in mutual aid have been facing impacts themselves while helping, whether it was loss of power, heat, water, food, failing and broken infrastructure. Many have even given their own food and supplies away, even if it meant they were at risk again.
Local groups will continue to fill in the gaps left by our government as the damage and toll of the storm is more evident by the day. They need your support to continue their work and see that Texans get the relief and stability they deserve.
Check this list of organizations across Texas doing the good work to support neighbors and help those in need that could use your support. While the list is not comprehensive, it highlights progressive organizations primarily led by leaders of color providing for marginalized communities.
lick on each city listed below to see organizations and/or mutual aid efforts by each location:
Support anyway you can! Help your community by donating money, food and water, and other goods, by volunteering on the ground, providing administrative assistance, or by amplifying their efforts on social media or within your own personal networks.
Let’s be clear: The power outage and the suffering, uncertainty, and trauma were absolutely preventable. Just ten years ago, in 2011, Texas froze. Committees convened and reports were issued about the need to winterize the electric sector. But little action was taken. This is largely the result of the fossil fuel industry’s firm grip on Texas politics, and the failure to address climate change or even plan for its impacts. And it’s led to tragedy.
Texas deserves better. The hard work of mutual aid groups, volunteers, and average Texans is absolutely invaluable. But what happened to millions of Texans, and continues to this very moment, is completely unacceptable. And it’s the result of our democracy captured by fossil fuel interests who finance politicians who are more interested in deregulation and corporate profits than the livelihood of you and your family. Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, Dan Patrick and the pro-fossil fuel lobby have held power in Texas for more than 20 years. Texas’ pain and suffering is on them. The politicians who chose to do nothing and the politicians who continue to deflect their responsibility for Uri's devestating impacts.
Please consider supporting local mutual aid groups so that Texas can recover from this storm and see that together, we can build a better future. While we make demands on our elected officials for relief, transparency, more investment in energy efficiency and new cleaner technologies, and plans for more resilient infrastructure, Texas communities are slowly recovering through the hard work of organizers, aid workers, volunteers, neighbors, and families supporting each other. Your support matters!