Around 12:15 am on Sunday (today) we made contact with Anita and John Frank, who were trying to stay warm with just a fleece throw blanket in the 20 degree Texas weather and freezing rain. They were in thin clothes (she was in kitten heels!). Both were shaking with cold and - the grace note - open to help.
After my mom went to sleep, C and I went driving for an hour in the eerie empty quiet looking for folks in wooded areas (some were in tents or out in the sleet but too scared of going to a shelter). Then we spotted Anita by the train stop. She brought us to John Frank huddled under a parking lot awning. He was quiet and only whispered his name. Anita said yes, she wanted everything we could give to help, and chatted rapid-fire, telling us that she’s homeless but in school, she has a housing voucher but can’t get a place yet due to her record and she needs a phone. They got bundled up in blankets, coats, hats and gloves we pulled out from the box in the trunk. They started in on donuts and protein drinks. They were cautious about going to the shelter but definitely wanted to go to 7-11 (relatable)! We said Hop in and get warm and we’ll go to 7-11!
(Btw, friends, we need, badly need, money for provisions -- please read to the end if you have extra and want to help. Huge, unending thank you to my paid subscribers, whose support provides funds for this mutual aid.)
With the heat cranked to High and driving turtle-slow to not skid, it was almost a joyride. After 7/11, we explained that it will be below freezing for many nights and deadly, that people outside would get hypothermia. And we want them to stay alive. The (unadvertised) shelter, just ten minutes away, will provide food, sleeping mats, and everything they need. Yes -- thank our lucky stars --they both wanted to go in.
I texted my friend X who contacted the folks who could open the shelter doors at that hour and it was smooth, with separate gym floors for men and women. We were greeted and Anita and John Frank each got a thin blue vinyl pallet, a thin white cotton coverlet and a reflective crinkly emergency blanket. She went to the women’s sleeping room and I went with John Frank into the dark men’s gym to help him find a spot on the floor. (”He’s timid,” Anita had said.)
He was not sure how to unfold the pallet to make his bed; he had gotten too cold earlier. I spread out the pallet and covers and he took off his shoes and lay down, then got folded in like a burrito. My heart was full. The dark room was full of men curled up on crinkly foil blankets, breathing. But not enough men. Not nearly as many as there need to be.
People will have died in Austin tonight, which makes me so sad. We (and the dozens or hundreds of other people out driving to transport and delivering supplies) will keep going until everyone we can get to is provisioned or safely inside.
We need money for supplies. The overflowing tables of coats, blankets and food from yesterday morning (first pic) are almost empty. I promised (impulsively, but trustingly bc people are compassionate) to come up with $2500 by tonight for the larger group effort; their coffers are empty now.
I’ll front the money this morning so more food and supplies can come in and go out. (The pic is the canned goods shelf in Family Dollar that we were to led by Marie on Friday when we bought all the easy-open foodstuffs for her and the 7 folks camping with her.)
The darkness around us is deep but our hearts are very bright. Please share and please give if you have extra. And if you don’t have extra to share, please send your warm heart energy out to wrap around someone who is cold right now.
Paypal or Zelle: abelouiseyoung@gmail.com
Venmo: @abelouise
If you would prefer to give to a nonprofit organization please give to Community Resilience Trust Weather Response Collective at https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/TGZY44ZB8JMZQ
100% of funds will be used directly to help folks get warm and survive the storm in Austin, TX.
~ Thank you ~
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