Donations pile up in the Wimberley High School gymnasium after deadly floods over Memorial Day weekend. Photo courtesy Barnabas Connection
As about 300 volunteers continue to search for missing persons in Wimberley and surrounding areas, Coastal Bend residents are donating clothing, groceries and money to help Central Texans affected by recent floods. Eight Corpus Christi residents were among the missing after a home they were staying in washed down the Blanco River and hit a bridge. The body of one was found May 28, while searches continued over the last weekend in May, utilizing drones from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, dogs and volunteers.
Ways to help vary from sending checks to donating clothes and food to helping search crews.
Volunteer centers
• Wimberley: Cypress Creek Church, 211 Stillwater St.
• San Marcos: San Marcos Plaza Park, 206 N. CM Allen Parkway
To donate items
• The Diocese of Corpus Christi is collecting hygiene kits, non-perishable food packs and clean-up kits. For lists of items to go in the kits, visit the website at ccctx.org/programs/disaster/. Kits and packs can be dropped off at at all masses at the parishes this weekend, May 30 and 31. Proceeds from money collected will be sent to the Diocese of Austin and the Catholic Charities of Central Texas.
• Club Estates Elementary School asks that the following items be dropped off through the next week: mattresses, wheel barrows, over-the-counter pain relievers, flat shovels, medical masks, gloves, rubber boots, brooms, sponges, scrub brushes, mosquito spray, empty spray bottles, mops, empty tubs, lids and Walmart gift cards.
• For the next two weeks, Freedom Fitness locations have set up donation boxes at all locations in Corpus Christi, San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley. Freedom Fitness members who donated $25 worth of goods will earn a gift certificate for one free month, which can be given to a friend or family member or on a current membership. Corpus Christi Freedom Fitness locations are at South Alameda and Sunrise Mall.
• Donations of larger items, such as lidded storage containers, heavy duty trash bags, flashlights and batteries, tools and can openers, can be taken to First Title Company at Holly Oaks Professional Plaza, 5402 Holly Road, Set 2202 in Corpus Christi. Also needed are can openers, laundry baskets, gift cards, first aid items, laundry detergent, canned tuna/chicken, single serve snacks, peanut butter paper products, cleaning products and water.
• Toys for children can be left at the leasing office of Reserve at Saratoga apartments, 5701 Saratoga Blvd. Items will be taken to Wimberley June 6.
• Those living in Alice, Bishop, Ricardo, Riviera, Driscoll or Robstown and can’t drive to Corpus Christi to make a donation, can leave goods at Neessen Chevrolet in Kingsville from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday, May 29. Items requested include cleaning supplies, toiletries, bug spray, pet food, water, nonperishable food and gift cards. Nissan Chevrolet is located at 2007 U.S. Hwy 77 in Kingsville.
Other local businesses collecting nonperishable food, paper products, first aid items and cleaning supplies are:
• Dr. Bryan Gulley, 6421 Saratoga Blvd
• Apollo Towing, 6342 Harwick Dr.
• Bay Area Title Services, 5926 S. Staples St., Ste A
• Beltone Hearing, 4541 Everhart St. Ste. #2 until next Friday, June 5
• AutoNation Ford, in partnership with Apollo Towing at the car lot in the 6200 block of S. Padre Island Drive.
• The Nineteenth Hole, 3601 North Saint Mary's Street in Beeville
To donate money
• Salvation Army online at salvationarmyaustin.org
• United Way of the Coastal Bend at uwcb.org, or text FLOODS to 41444
• American Red Cross of Corpus Christi at www.redcross.org/tx/corpus-christi, or call 361-887-991 x5524.
• Barnabas Connection, P.O. Box 737 Wimberley, TX 78676, barnabasconnects.org
• The official GoFundMe account designated for the missing Corpus Christi families at gofundme.com/vf7f26s
• The Mercy Coalition at themercycoalition.org
• American Bank Benefit Fund for McComb, Carey, Charba Rescue, P.O. Box 9683, Corpus Christi, TX 78469
Hays County emergency needs
Hays County Emergency Services report they are in dire need of water, non-perishable food items, paper products, first aid items and cleaning supplies. Items needed immediately include:
– Rubber boots (critical need)
– Work gloves (each worker can use several pairs per day!)
– Large squeegees with mop handles for cleaning floors and walls (critical need)
– Sun screen
– Shampoo and conditioner
– Body wash
– Hand wash
– All types of cleaning supplies
– Laundry detergent
– Disinfectant wipes
– Floor cleaner and disinfectants such as Lysol (critical need)
– Toilet paper
– Paper towels
