Texas pretty much had the hottest summer on record, with very little rain and a lot of wind. That combination led to fires popping up all over our state, recently and maybe most well-known in and around Austin.
Thousands of homes were burned down, destroyed, or damaged and while I've read a few different figures, the total amount of damages caused by fires in Texas this summer seems to be well over $250 million. Fires keep popping up, too, because we're still seeing temps in the 90s (and 100s!) in Texas, even though this weekend is the first of October.
Texas is hot. Texas is burning. Texas needs a little relief.
I complain a lot about this state (especially this state's painfully horrible weather) but this is home, and you know what they say about home. Well, they say you shouldn't let it burn, that's for sure.
If you have a little extra money but no extra time, consider donating to The Central Texas Wildfire Fund.
Also, if you're in or near Austin, a few events I think sound pretty cool:
- Fire Relief: The Concert for Central Texas (Kyle Chandler is emceeing!)
- Austin Bakes for Bastrop (all proceeds will go to the above linked Wildfire Fund)
Or, you can buy a charity t-shirt, offered by Help Central Texans (@CentralTXFires). Pre-orders are being taken now, and it looks like all t-shirts will ship after 10/18. They even offer a women's tee (below).
These shirts are great if you're going to The Blathering, since you're bound to fall in love with Texas, at least a little bit, in a few weeks.
I get really overwhelmed with how much need there is out there and how little I can really contribute in comparison to that need. We're all just individual people. How can we make an actual difference?
I don't know if I've figured out those answers yet -- it still feels overwhelming to want to help without knowing exactly how to make the ability match the desire -- but I figure it's just like everything else.
Take a step, then take another, until the world is better.
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If you know of a charity, event, or cause that's benefitting the Texas fires, please leave information in the comments and I'll update this post.