Crowdfunding effort aiding RGV recovery

By GAIGE DAVILA
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

Flooded streets in the wake of Tropical Storm Hanna. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Health and Human Services)

To donate to the RGV Mutual Aid Fund, visit https://linktr.ee/Rgvmutualaid.

After Hurricane Hanna swept through the Rio Grande Valley, countless people throughout the area found themselves needing help, some of whom have had their homes destroyed by floodwater.

On July 26, a group of around ten RGV organizers started a crowdfunding campaign, the RGV Mutual Aid Fund, in an attempt to give funds as quickly as possible to those affected locally by Hanna’s damage. The group has grown to at least 40 volunteers, as has the money they have collectively raised, receiving $1,000 in donations within an hour of launching the campaign.

RGV Mutual Aid has now received over $44,000 as of press time, with over 500 requests for aid, according to volunteer Leslie Torres, who logs aid requests for the campaign.

Torres said the large response to the campaign is largely due to its accessibility.

“I think people were eager to donate to this cause because it’s community-based and there aren’t an extreme amount of hoops you would need to jump through to receive aid,” Torres said. “This is especially helpful for undocumented families.”

RGV Mutual Aid Fund’s requests range from around $150 to $10,000, and the campaign is doing its best to provide at least a portion of the aid requested.

“It feels worthwhile that we can contribute any amount due to the graciousness of our donors, but we would like to assist more,” Torres said. “We have over 500 official requests, and since we have closed our request form, we have been receiving even more requests through social media. So while $40,000 is a lot of money, it isn’t enough to assist our community members who are in dire need.”

Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length. To read the full story, click here or make sure to grab a copy of the Aug. 7 – 13, 2020 issue of the NEWS.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2020/08/07/crowdfunding-effort-aiding-rgv-recovery/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.