Programs & Services

Winter Storm Relief

In Feb of 2021 Texas was hit with a devastating winter storm. From the first warning of bad weather, Barnabas worked with our community to prepare residents, sharing on our social media and working with local city officials at https://www.facebook.com/wimberleycommunityemergencyresponse     and www.barnabasconnects.org

 For the next  2 weeks, we saw so many community members, nonprofits, and businesses come together as we would work together to deliver food and water and food to those who were shut in or in need. Barnabas has run a HELPline since its very inception, and this number along with an extra number that would be set up by Cypress Creek Church to help field calls just for water needs ( the demand was so high), allowed us to match community volunteers who were able to navigate the very treacherous storms to get to those who were in need, and even those who needed emergency help.  

During the first week, we found there was no water to be bought in our town or any surrounding towns, so we put out an SOS. The local ISD had their coaches clear out all of their concession stands and the local Youth Sports Association donated all the water they had as well. Local community members, the pastor of Cypress Creek Church, Lions club members, the Ace Hardware Owner, and Jeep Club members drove water all around town as people called in for the need. Amigos de Jesus Food Pantry opened its doors and let us clear out the food to deliver food to those who were iced in. 

As the week went on and the ice cleared we continued to see a need because of pipes bursting and there was no water for sale. We continued to deliver food and water and set up a spaghetti dinner drive-through and delivery for the whole community- generously hosted by the Baptist Church. A team of volunteers delivered over 500 meals and water ( donated by HAYS CO and 2 palettes purchased by Barnabas) out to the community. In addition, Fig tree delivered a bag of food for every child in the home and Barnabas took Breakfast Cereal and Formula provided by Heart of Texas Pregnancy Resource Center and Blankets from Amigos de Jesus. 

This allowed us to walk in the community in some places where a light needed to be shone and spread the Love of God and bring awareness to some inequities that exist. Had it not been for this crisis, it is very possible these blessings would have not happened. The calls of crisis that were coming into our helpline from an area of our community were dire, some people had been without water for days. These same people had not had a way to access us by phone and when they finally did these were their words:

Todas las familias tenemos una semana sin agua.  Tenemos que estar deshaciendo la nieve para echarle al baño, pero no tenemos para bañar ni para nada.”  (All of the families have gone a week without water.  We have been melting snow to use in the bathroom, but we don’t have water to bathe or for anything else.)

When a volunteer responded that someone would be heading out to them with help:

“Quiere que lleguen pronto porque estamos ansiosos por el agua y una comidita porque la verdad es que se nos hace mucha falta del favor de Dios.”  (Hoping that they arrive soon because we are anxious to have water and a little bit of food because the truth is that we have really felt a lack of God’s favor.)

It became apparent to many of us that these communities needed more, and Cypress Creek Church mobilized to set up a food and water distribution, asking if we wanted to partner with them. As CCC and their amazing team were undertaking the huge task of all the behind-the-scenes tech and registration work, the Barnabas team worked to shop for additional food to supplement the amazing donation that CCC had secured from the Hays County Food Bank. Our community came together to provide all needed items-(Crisis Bread Basket donating food, Amigos de Jesus donating food, HEB donating water, Heart of Texas Pregnancy Resource Center donating formula and Diapers, Fig Tree donating snacks for kids, Ace Hardware and Sonora Bank donating bags for food), or financial donations from the community to help assist with the purchases. When it seemed like we wouldn’t have the time to get everything done, our families worked tirelessly for the entire day and Cypress Creek’s Team showed up on Sunday ( in mass) to get it all wrapped up. 

During the event, we worked beside each of the partners to serve all of the community members, connecting with nonprofits and community members, discovering other unmet needs we were able to fill. 

After the food and water event, we had the opportunity to follow up and continue serving these most vulnerable and still impacted and to take with us on several trips with us the City Mayor, City Council Members, Pastors, and members of nonprofits-many who had not been aware of the high levels of need before this time. We are thankful for their commitment to our community making a change and helping us do that. 

We have continued to serve in the community, helping those most impacted by the Winter Storms.  Unfortunately, as is too often, these are also our most vulnerable community members. Since then, we have been working to create a plan with the Mayor, City Planner, Non-Profits, and churches for a better emergency plan going forward. We have also hired someone to be a voice and contact for our most vulnerable areas- our Community Liaison.