UVALDE, Texas — Nearly a month after rushing floodwaters damaged homes in Uvalde, Kerrville, Boerne and other parts of Texas, families in affected areas are still seeking help.
The majority of them still have questions about when federal assistance will become available.
Catholic Charities of San Antonio has set up at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde to provide emergency assistance to families affected by the flooding.
“We’ve been out here for 28 days. We deployed the week of the flooding,” said Catholic Charities of San Antonio’s Senior Director of Essential Support Services, Omar Davila.
The organization is one of several groups stepping in while families wait for additional aid. This round of help comes from grant funding.
“Thanks to a grant from the Texas Community Foundations of the Texas Hill Country, we’re providing emergency assistance to families,” Oscar Davila said.
The grant totals $1.8 million; it’s being distributed to four grantees — including Catholic Charities of San Antonio — which has $317,000 available to give to families in need.
Austin Dickson is the CEO of Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. He said many people receiving help have responded emotionally.
“So many people are grateful,” he said. “They have tears in their eyes — they’re just grateful that somebody cares.”
So far, 71 families in Uvalde have received assistance after providing proof of residence showing their home was in an affected flood area. More than 100 additional families have registered for help and are waiting to hear back.
Several families are also waiting for a green light from FEMA, as uncertainty remains over when federal assistance will become available.
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