Clearly, Texas was not prepared for the storm that ravaged the state last week. Lost electricity, pipes bursting, the absence of heating when it was needed most are just some of the many problems that plagued Texas households. In the aftermath, here are some of the things you can do to help: 

Donate to a food bank 

• This is something that can be done all year round, but after the storm, the supplies and funds of the Food Bank have been negatively affected. The bank is in need of volunteers and disaster-relief items, specifically mentioning “monetary donations; peanut butter; canned vegetables; ready-to-eat meals; hot and cold cereal; juice; canned fruits; healthy snacks; and canned salmon, tuna or chicken.” Any more info on how to get involved or how to donate can be found on the website: https://mcfoodbank.org/ 

Check in with your friends and family

• It sounds cliche, but my parents were only able to find houses to help at or people to welcome in when they asked individual people. Most people won’t put out a cry for help unless asked about their situation. That means, check in with your fellow Cavaliers. Ask them about the water situation, and most prevalently now, how they can help with water damage or general construction damage. 

Find local fundraisers or organizations that are donating to post-storm efforts

• Some of the more prominent ones include Austin Winter Storm Relief (Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/austin-winter-storm-relief?utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer), Texas Relief Warriors, Texas Winter Storm Relief, etc. Additionally, some churches served as warming shelters for families in need, so replenishing the money they lost in supporting local families could also be a helpful act. 
• Houston/Harris country…https://winterstormrelieffund.org/ 
• https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/winterstorm/  
• https://www.cityofconroe.org/transparency/winter-weather-updates