Tornado Relief

How to help Austin-area residents impacted by recent tornadoes

Local organizations are banding together to provide relief for those impacted by recent tornadoes.

Photo courtesy of KVUE

After multiple tornadoes touched down in Central Texas earlier this week, local organizations are stepping up to provide shelter and aid for those in need. The March 21 storm damaged multiple homes and businesses across Travis, Williamson, and Bastrop counties.

From signing up to help clear debris to replacing damaged items and contributing monetary donations, here are some ways to serve your neighbors in need.

Austin Disaster Relief Network
The Austin Disaster Relief Network launched the Central Texas Tornadoes Relief Fund earlier this week to help residents impacted by the storm. Funds will support immediate needs for disaster survivors, including food and emergency supplies, as well as long-term restoration needs for rebuilding safe and clean homes. Visit ADRN.org for up-to-date response information, ways to donate and volunteer, and to find the Disaster Survivor hotline if you were impacted by the storm. The group will also be hosting a benefit concert Saturday, March 26, from 2-8 pm in the Blue Norther Hard Seltzer tasting room, with performances from local musicians.

United Heritage Center at the Dell Diamond
Partnering with the Austin Disaster Relief Network, the United Heritage Center is accepting donations of nonperishable food, water, and clothing on Friday, March 25 from 10-6 pm and Saturday, March 26 from 9 am until 3 pm. Care kits from the community can also be dropped off at the Hope Family Thrift Store in East Austin or at the Round Rock Chamber for distribution at the Dell Diamond. Items of special need include power bank chargers, work gloves, trash bags, tarps, and pet food.

Partners in Education Foundation
The Round Rock school district’s education foundation announced a special allocation of funds for tornado relief. To contribute, visit the foundation’s website and select “Other” from the dropdown menu, specifying “Tornado Relief” in the next field. Donations will help the foundation provide food and supplies to families in need.

Austin Pets Alive!
Austin Pets Alive! is offering support for animals displaced by the tornado through its Positive Alternative to Shelter Surrender Program (PASS). Struggling pet owners can contact the organization on Facebook or via email at pass@austinpetsalive.org for emergency food and supplies.

Catholic Charities Central Texas
Catholic Charities Central Texas is offering financial assistance, short-term housing assistance, rental and mortgage assistance, free mental health counseling, and free basic needs for those affected by the storm. Direct donations can be made at ccctx.org.

Greater Austin Muslim Relief Committee
The Greater Austin Muslim Relief Committee is accepting nonperishable items and water package donations and is evaluating assistance in a case-by-case basis. Visit roundrockmasjid.org to learn more or email contact@roundrockmasjid.org.

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From Music to Park Maintenance

New basketball court and more changes for Austin parks from ACL Fest funds

Photo courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation

Dottie Jordan Neighborhood Park also received a grant for youth tennis programming.

Yes, Austinites do need to give up their favorite park during the Austin City Limits Music Festival each year. But grants derived from festival revenue get spread around to improve Austin's parks throughout the year. Austin Parks Foundation (APF) has announced this year's grant recipients and what that will mean for those parks, including a new basketball court, dog park amenities, and more.

The ACL Music Festival Grants this year total more than $600,000. A press release specifies that the funds go toward '"improvements and amenities identified by community members and park adopters." Those upgrades are split into two categories; $500-$5,000 projects get Neighborhood Grants, while larger projects have no upper limit. However, the funds are reserved for "specific amenities or improvements" and not major redesigns.

"These grants are in addition to the millions of dollars APF invests in our parks each year, ensuring that our parks continue to serve individual neighborhoods," said APF CEO Colin Wallis in a press release. "Each project represents a partnership between APF and dedicated community members who intimately understand their neighborhoods' needs. The strength of these grants lies in their direct connection to community vision and their proven effectiveness in creating lasting positive change across Austin."

The timeline for the projects in this round of funding varies. Some are finished, some are in final stages, and some others are yet to come.

Two projects are already complete. The Onion Creek Dog Park now has new limestone block seating ($4,870) so that dog owners can rest while their pets roam off-leash. Georgian Acres Neighborhood Park completed a small task in commissioning a Little Free Library ($800) that was painted by a local tattoo artist.

Two more projects are seeing the horizon on their efforts. The Clarksville Community Garden is creating the Haskell House Heritage Garden, which is located near the preserved late-1800s home with ties to multiple generations of Black Austinites. It'll also include interpretive signage, invasive bamboo removal, and updates to the irrigation system ($26,900). The Elisabet Ney Museum, which is currently closed for major renovations, got support for its landscape overhaul and connection to the Shipe Park next door ($25,000).

Finally, three more are coming soon. Roy G. Guerrero Metropolitan Park received the largest grant by far, totaling $550,000. It'll get a new basketball court and a shade structure, which is a direct reaction to local needs since the Montopolis community recently lost three courts. The new one is in the works at the end of Grove Boulevard and should be ready by the end of 2025.

More sports are coming to Dottie Jordan Neighborhood Park in the form of youth tennis programming ($6,100), while a new mural commissioned by the East Austin Youth Foundation honors community leader L.D. Washington at Rosewood Neighborhood Park ($4,000).

These grants aren't the only way APF benefits from ACL sales, which also support capital projects and volunteer days for taking care of the parks through actions like picking up litter, including It's My Park Day. The grants are offered twice a year; the next deadline for proposed projects is April 1.

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