Catholic Charities continues to help survivors of last year’s floods

Living Our Faith

Paulist Father Bruce Nieli blessed care kits for the Central Texas victims of last year’s flood. Photo courtesy of CCCTX

Catholic Charities continues to help survivors of last year’s floods

When the Central Texas floods struck one year ago, much of the public attention was focused on the tragedy in Kerrville. But throughout the Diocese of Austin, families were suffering, too. Lives were lost, homes destroyed and vehicles swept away within a matter of hours. In the days that followed, Catholic Charities of Central Texas (CCCTX) began hearing the same message repeatedly during their outreach:
“We need help here, too.”

In response, CCCTX mobilized its Disaster Response program to serve families. Staff and volunteers deployed to the five counties (Burnet, San Saba, Travis, Williamson, and Lampasas) most heavily impacted, where they reached out directly to survivors, distributed care kits filled with essential supplies and began the process of understanding the needs of each family in the aftermath of the flood.

Over the years, CCCTX has learned no two disasters are the same. Each one impacts families and the surrounding community differently, which means the approach to recovery cannot be one size fits all. This disaster brought widespread damage to homes and property, and to the everyday items families rely on to live and work with dignity, including beds, appliances, tools, work vehicles and other necessities.

CCCTX continues to work with families on their road to recovery. Through individualized case management, CCCTX staff work one-on-one with families to identify barriers to recovery and offer meaningful support tailored to each household’s circumstance. To date, CCCTX has provided more than $1 million in aid to those impacted across the diocese.

This support has included home and property repairs, home replacement, new major appliances and mattresses, vehicle replacement and repair, emergency financial assistance to cover rent, mortgage, utilities and more.

For many households, this assistance has been the difference between stability and displacement, said Allison Cavazos, executive director at CCCTX.

“One year later, many families are still rebuilding their lives. Recovery does not end when the floodwaters recede, and the need for support continues long after national attention fades,” she said. “Catholic Charities remains committed to walking alongside families on the road to recovery, ensuring our neighbors are not forgotten.”

During this tragedy, moments of hope emerged. “We witnessed the church and our Central Texas community at its best in the response to these floods,” Cavazos said. In the immediate aftermath of the floods, donors, parishes, volunteers and community partners came together to respond with compassion and solidarity. CCCTX’s work with flood survivors continues to this day due to their extraordinary generosity.

Marisol’s story

Marisol and her children lost nearly all their possessions in the Central Texas floods. The biggest challenge for Marisol was the loss of her vehicle, which she used for regular visits to a specialist in the city for her daughter’s medical condition.

“Anytime she gets sick, we have to travel. In our little town, we don't have hospitals,” Marisol explained.

She was determined to do everything she could to get her daughter the medical care she needed, but she struggled to borrow cars and pay for rideshares. After several missed appointments due to her inability to find transportation, and growing financial strain from paying for rides, Marisol realized she needed to ask for help.

“I've always been the independent one,” she said. “I never asked for anything. I’d work two or three jobs to make ends meet.”

When Marisol came to CCCTX, she found a safe space to share her story and ask for help. Through the Disaster Response program, CCCTX provided ongoing case management support and purchased a reliable used vehicle for Marisol, ensuring her daughter’s medical care could continue without interruption. Today, Marisol and her daughter are able to make every necessary appointment because they have dependable transportation once again.

“I learned there are people out there who care and will look out for you. You just have to ask,” Marisol said. “May God multiply every one of [CCCTX donors’] blessings. Because it takes a big heart to give. And a lot of love.”