Christine Goff thought that delivering care boxes would be a small way to show those affected by Kerr County’s catastrophic flooding that the community loved and supported them.
The Park Cities community was thinking a little bigger.
By the time volunteers assembled the care packages on July 19, Goff’s home was overflowing with donations from neighbors and local businesses.
One table was covered with sidewalk chalk, Ring Pops, beads, markers, journals, coloring books, toys, acrylic paints, and fuzzy teddy bears wearing green bows.
Another housed boxes of baked goods, including individually wrapped loaves of Texas chocolate cake, lovingly crafted zucchini bread with cream cheese icing, green and white frosted cut out cookies, muffins, and cupcakes.
Celebration Restaurant, Chick-fil-A, Mi Cocina, and KidBiz donated gift certificates. Park Cities families added yet more gift cards from businesses such as Amazon, Starbucks, Short Stop Food to Go, Ulta Beauty, Nails Star, and Target.
A Girl Scout troop made friendship bracelets. Sally’s Dance Class at the Moody YMCA gave socks. Teachers from McCulloch Intermediate School came by with donations for older children.
In all, Goff estimated that about 50 neighbors had contributed to the effort.
“I just thought it was going to be maybe two or three of us trying to get some things together,” she said. “This is just what happens organically. I’m just so impressed with all the people that baked goods, and all the people that have volunteered to help and bring everything.”
Volunteers delivered or mailed 57 boxes to those had been affected by the flooding. Some had lost family members, others had been campers or counselors in Kerr County during the disaster.
Neighbors worked busily on July 19 to put items in each box that its recipient would like. The contents varied based on gender and age.
“I think so many people were affected. I have a lot of friends that were affected. I knew a couple of the counselors, and the directors, and I just think it’s super important to give back to them,” said Sophia Raveling, who was volunteering on behalf of KidBiz.
In addition to helping hands and gift cards, the Inwood Village business contributed jewelry and toys to the effort, Raveling said.
“It breaks everybody’s heart,” said Park Cities mom Julie Farr. “Anything that we can do, which is nothing. Anything we can do to help us grieve through it too, as just neighbors.”
Farr contributed green and white seersucker boxers to the care packages. They went with custom-made shirts donated by Allie Beth Allman & Associates.
On each shirt was an image of four girls embracing beneath a canopy of trees wrapped with green ribbon. Over the girls’ heads was Bible verse John 1:5. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”