Lending a hand

Easy ways to help Dallas-Fort Worth residents impacted by historic winter storm

Winter storms have been historic all across Texas this week.

Photo by Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

People all across Dallas-Fort Worth are grappling with the effects of this week's historic winter storm — the extreme cold, power outages, and water issues that have brought the region to a standstill. Here are some ways residents can lend a hand through monetary contributions, donations of goods and services, volunteer time, or even a simple ring of a doorbell next door. The list will continue to be updated as more opportunities are announced.

Genesis Women's Shelter & Support in Dallas had to shut down for the first time in its 35-year history due to an extended power outage and damage and flooding from burst pipes. All residents have been temporarily relocated to alternative safe locations. The organization is in critical need of blankets, warm clothing items, flashlights, batteries, and meals. They're also hoping to raise enough funds to purchase two commercial automatic generators. Donations can be made through their website.

The Family Place suffered damage when pipes burst at its shelter and had to move more than 100 clients to offsite locations. The nonprofit is now seeking emergency donations of blankets and coats, food, and other essentials. They are also receiving monetary donations through their website.

Staff Meal Dallas is starting tabs at restaurants around DFW to purchase food for anyone who has been affected by the storm. They've set up a GoFundMe page for contributions, and more information can be found here.

Chase Oaks Church has opened two Collin County campuses (Fairview and Sachse) as temporary warming centers. They are looking for assistance to donate firewood, water, and other essentials; deliver supplies to those in need; and provide HVAC and plumbing assistance. Those who can help should start here.

Austin Street Center, which serves those experiencing homelessness in Dallas, is in need of warm clothing. They are specifically requesting donations of sweatpants, hoodies, and long sleeve shirts for men and women, sizes L-4X. Clients also need thick gloves, boots (all sizes), and coats (sizes 3XL and up). Donations can be dropped off 9 am-5 pm Sunday through Saturday at 2929 Hickory St., Dallas.

The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center in Dallas has compiled an Amazon Wish List of items (like hand warmers and earmuffs) they're seeking to keep clients safe and warm.

United to Learn is collecting contributions to buy food, blankets, coats, and more necessities for Dallas ISD families impacted by the storm. Monetary donations can be made here.

Feed the People Dallas Mutual Aid is accepting monetary contributions to help feed the area's most vulnerable populations. More information here.

Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based relief organization, is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth to serve restaurant-quality hot meals and distribute water. To contribute to their efforts, visit their website. To find out where they're operating, click on this story.

The Salvation Army of North Texas is accepting monetary contributions to provide supplies for warming shelters in Dallas-Fort Worth. To make a donation, visit their website.

Carter Blood Care is struggling to meet the needs of the community with both COVID-19 and the winter storm crisis. They're urging people to give blood and plan to resume most normal operations on Friday, February 19. For information on locations, hours, and scheduling a donation, visit their website.

Don't Forget to Feed Me, an animal care organization, expects pet food demands to increase once inclement weather ends and is conducting a food drive through the end of the month. Their Amazon wish list is here.

CNN, which is doing extensive TV reporting on the Texas storm, has consolidated 14 organizations throughout the state into a "one-stop-shop" page for donations. Local organizations include American Red Cross, Union Gospel Mission of Dallas, The Stewpot at Dallas First Presbyterian Church, Salvation Army, Our Calling, and more. You can learn more and donate through their website.

Lalamove, a local same-day, on-delivery app, is offering a significant discount to help North Texans send and receive supplies they need — including food, water, firewood, and warm clothing. Users can download Lalamove in the App store and schedule a driver to pick up whatever they may need and/or deliver it to someone else. Through Sunday, February 21, Lalamove is offering 50 percent off all winter weather deliveries with the code LASNOW. Users can enter the code into the promo section of the Lalamove app and receive half off, up to $10.

Meals On Wheels Inc. of Tarrant County is asking people to check on their neighbors and is looking for more volunteer drivers. Meals On Wheels has delivered emergency shelf-stable meals and is asking volunteers and staff to stay home at this time. They will be closed through Friday, February 19.

United Way of Tarrant County encourages people to call 877-541-7905 or 2-1-1, or visit the 211 website for information and resources. Information on donating can be found here.

The Fort Worth Fire Department is accepting donations of bottled water at all 43 fire stations. They are distributing it to those impacted by the water outages and boil advisories.

The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition is seeking donations of emergency cold weather needs: pillows, blankets, over-the-counter cold and flu medicines, pillowcases, underwear (all sizes), coats, scarves, gloves, hats, heavy and warm socks, twin sheets for emergency mattresses, generators, heaters, sleeping bags, bottled water. Donate here or text WESUPPORT to 41444.

Tarrant Area Food Bank is holding several food distribution events for those who need food assistance. All are open to the public and will take place at Herman Clark Stadium, 5201 CA Roberson Blvd., Fort Worth, 76107. They'll be 10 am-1 pm Friday, February 19; 2-4 pm Saturday, February 20; and 10 am-1 pm Monday, February 22. TAFB is seeking volunteers for the Herman Clark Stadium events to assist with registration, traffic control, and food distribution. Sign up to volunteer at tafb.galaxydigital.com. For food or monetary donation information, visit the website.

Funky Town Fridge is accepting monetary donations to keep its community refrigerators full in Fort Worth. More information on ways to contribute here.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History sustained damage from a pipe burst and flood and is accepting contributions toward repairs here.

The Greater Keller Chamber is setting up a drive-thru hot meal distribution from 4-7 pm Friday, February 19 at The Bowden. Meals will be prepared and provided by FNG Eats, Sweet Memories Catering, JRs BBQ, DeVivo Bros., Jason’s Deli, and Hook & Ladder Pizza. Meals are free and limited to one per person. To support this event financially, call 817-431-2169 or email gballog@kellerchamber.com.

Gozova, a local moving and logistics company, is collecting and distributing free firewood to homes that need it. To donate wood or volunteer as a delivery driver, join their Facebook group. They'll be handing out free bundles of firewood from 11:30 am-4 pm Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 20 outside of Tulips FTW music venue, 112 St Louis Ave, Fort Worth. Tulips will be open as a warming center for those who'd like to warm up, rest, and recharge with a hot cup of coffee while they pick up firewood.

Warming centers across Dallas and Fort Worth continue to provide warmth, shelter, water, and power to those who need it. Contact the closest one in your neighborhood to see if they're in need of donations or volunteers.

charity weather

Texas Politics

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett to run for U.S. Senate in Texas

Jasmine Crockett / Facebook

Jasmine Crockett

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett launched a campaign Monday for the U.S. Senate in Texas, bringing a national profile to a race that may be critical to Democrats’ long-shot hopes of reclaiming a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections.

Crockett, one of Congress’ most outspoken Democrats and a frequent target of GOP attacks, jumped into the race on the final day of qualifying in Texas. She is seeking the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn, who is running for reelection in the GOP-dominated state.

Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats to wrest control from Republicans next November, when most of the seats up for reelection are in states like Texas that President Donald Trump won last year. Democrats have long hoped to make Texas more competitive after decades of Republican dominance. Cornyn, first elected to the Senate since 2002, is facing the toughest GOP primary of his career against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Crockett’s announcement came hours after former Rep. Colin Allred ended his own campaign for the Democratic nomination in favor of attempting a House comeback bid. She faces a March 3 primary against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, a former teacher with a rising national profile fueled by viral social media posts challenging Republican policies such as private school vouchers and requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

“It’s going to be a sprint from now until the primary, but in Texas you have to think about the voter base overall in November, too,” said Kamau Marshall, a Democratic consultant who has worked for Allred before and worked on other campaigns in Texas. “Who can do the work on the ground? After the primary, who can win in the general?"

Crockett's style
Talarico raised almost $6.3 million in the three weeks after he formally organized his primary campaign committee in September and had nearly $5 million in cash on hand at the end of the month, campaign finance reports showed. Crockett raised about $2.7 million for her House campaign fund from July through September and ended September with $4.6 million.

Crockett could test Democratic voters’ appetite for a blunt communicator who is eager to take on Republicans as Democrats pursue their first statewide victory in Texas since 1994. She did not issue a statement ahead of a formal announcement of her candidacy Monday afternoon in Dallas.

Republicans were quick Monday to try to turn Crockett's penchant for public clashes with opponents into liabilities. Paxton called her “Crazy Crockett,” and Cornyn described her as “radical, theatrical and ineffective.”

Talarico welcomed Crockett to the Democratic primary but pointed to his fundraising and said he has 10,000 volunteers.

“Our movement is rooted in unity over division,” he said in a statement.

Democrats see their best opportunity to pick up the Texas seat if Paxton wins the Republican nomination because he has been shadowed for much of his career by legal and personal issues. Yet Paxton is popular with Trump’s most ardent supporters.
Hunt, who has served two terms representing a Houston-area district, defied GOP leaders by entering the GOP race.

Viral moments
Crockett, a civil rights attorney serving her second House term, built her national profile with a candid style and viral moments on Capitol Hill. Trump has noticed and called her a “low IQ person.” In response, Crockett said she would agree to take an IQ test against the president.

She traded insults with Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who announced last month that she would resign in January, and had heated exchanges with Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

She also mocked Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who uses a wheelchair — as “Gov. Hot Wheels.” She later said she was referring to Abbott’s policy of using “planes, trains and automobiles” to send thousands of immigrants in Texas illegally to Democratic-led cities.

Democrats' best showing in a statewide race in the past three decades was in 2018, when former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke came within 3 points of ousting Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. It was the midterm election of Trump’s first administration, and Democrats believe next year’s race could be similarly favorable to their party.

A former professional football player and civil rights attorney, Allred was among Democrats’ star recruits in 2018.

Allred lost to Cruz by 8.5 points last year. He is running for the House in a Dallas-Fort Worth area district under a new map approved this year by the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature to meet Trump's call for more winnable Republican seats. The district has some areas Allred represented for six years before his run for the Senate in 2024.

Primary election
An internal party battle, Allred said, “would prevent the Democratic Party from going into this critical election unified against the danger posed to our communities and our Constitution by Donald Trump and one of his Republican bootlickers.”

Marshall said Crockett is a “solid national figure” who has a large social media following and is a frequent presence on cable news. That could be an advantage with Democratic primary voters, Marshall said, but not necessarily afterward.

Talarico, meanwhile, must raise money and build name recognition to make the leap from the Texas House of Representatives to a strong statewide candidacy, Marshall said.

A winning Democratic candidate in Texas, Marshall said, would have to energize Black voters, mainly in metro Houston and Dallas, win the kind of diverse suburbs and exurbs like those Allred once represented in Congress, and get enough rural votes, especially among Latinos in the Rio Grande Valley.

“It’s about building complicated coalitions in a big state," Marshall said.

election politics