A Winter Like No Other—For Texas

This snowstorm will certainly be one we will all remember—especially for Texans.

In the Chicagoland area, as we do with every winter, we suited up with the right clothes and boots, poured salt on walkways, and shoveled snow. But in Texas, it was different.

What started as a beautiful and magical snowfall in my beloved home state of Texas—which is not common in several areas—turned into a nightmare.

Hearing my Texas family and friends go through the electricity debacle was heartbreaking. I saw videos on Instagram of homes destroyed due to pipes bursting and icicles inside homes from how cold they were. It looked like a nightmare. My heart hurts for those families.

This made me think about how in a moment we can all be in a situation like this. Just like New Orleans didn’t expect the levees and flood walls to break.

I can’t imagine going through something like that, much less with my 3-year old son. I feel a sense of wanting to be prepared for “just in case” situations to protect him. Maybe it’s because the start of the pandemic is still fresh in my mind and we are still in the middle of it. Or maybe it’s because climate change is real and there are so many people who still doubt it. I don’t know. I just feel a sense of wanting to be prepared for a catastrophe.

If you’re in Texas, know that I’m not only praying for you, but also donating to organizations to help you get back on your feet. If you’re not in Texas, please consider supporting in any way you can. Below are some organizations that are helping out. I got this list from a CBS News website post that I thought were such a great list to share.

• Donate to a mutual aid fund, such as Mutual Aid Houston, Austin Mutual Aid, or Feed the People Dallas. These groups are working to provide housing, food, and other support systems to people in need.

• Donate to a food bank in Texas. Feeding Texas has a comprehensive list of food banks across the state that are searchable by zip code.

• Donate to national organizations, such as the Salvation Army and American Red Cross in North Texas, Central and South Texas, and the Gulf Coast region of Texas.

• Donate to or volunteer with disaster relief organizations like Crowdsource Rescue, which has been activated to help those in Texas.

It’s going to be cold today in most of the country. I hear some homes are starting to regain their electricity. But that is just the beginning of the end of this nightmare. Some peoples homes are destroyed, some people can’t go back to their homes, and grocery stores are out of food. There are older adults and disabled people who can’t easily get out to get food themselves. They need help. If you are able to, please support our Texas friends.