AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK WILL OFFER EMERGENCY FUNDS, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL CARE FOR BELL COUNTY TORNADO SURVIVORS
Austin, Texas, April 19, 2022 – Trained volunteers from the Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) will head to Salado later this week to participate in a Multi–Agency Resource Center (MARC) for tornado survivors. The MARC serves as a “one–stop–shop” of agencies and organizations offering services for those who were impacted by last week’s tornadoes. ADRN volunteers will meet with survivors to offer emergency financial assistance as well as emotional and spiritual care as they process what they’ve just gone through.
“Imagine the trauma of losing everything you own in an instant,” said Executive Director Daniel Geraci. “In just a few moments, these tornadoes took homes to the ground and left people with all of their belongings destroyed and scattered. They need physical help to replace what they’ve lost, of course. But they also need caring and compassionate people to hear their stories, pray with them, and point them towards hope. This is what the network of churches is all about – bringing hope into a crisis like the one in BellCounty.”
The MARC will open at the Salado Civic Center on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23 from 10 am – 6 pm. ADRN volunteers trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Chaplaincy will be on hand to meet with families and individuals, and assess their needs. ADRN will also distribute emergency tornado relief in the form of gift cards funded by designated donations through the Central Texas Tornadoes Relief Fund.
DONATE TO THE CENTRAL TEXAS TORNADOES RELIEF FUND
ADRN has teamed up with Tito’s Handmade Vodka to kickstart their fundraising campaign to raise $2.5 million in tornado relief in 25 days, with Tito’s Handmade Vodka providing the initial $50,000 donation and encouraging others to donate alongside them. The campaign ends on May 6 and will support the long–term repair and rebuilding efforts for residents after their homes were damaged or destroyed by the recent storms across Central Texas. After meeting with tornado survivors in recent weeks, ADRN leaders estimate residents will need at least $2.5 million in support to recover from the tornado damage. So far, the fund has raised about $244,000.
Donations to the Relief Fund can be made at adrn.org/helpctx. Businesses and foundations who want to support the effort with matching funds can contact the Donor Ministries department at dm@adrntx.org. Donors who want to support Bell County residents specifically can write “Bell County Tornado” in the comments of their online donation or on the memo line of their check.
ABOUT ADRN
Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization comprised of more than 190 Greater Austin churches and thousands of trained volunteers. ADRN’s network enables church members to organize, prepare and respond quickly in the event of a disaster, large or small. ADRN network churches, volunteers, business partners, local agencies, and community organizations provide in-kind and monetary donations and additional volunteer assistance that enables ADRN to fund the rebuild/repair of survivor homes and provide immediate assistance to those in crisis. Learn more at ADRN.org.
