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The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country announced a second round of flood relief grants in Kerr County following the deadly Fourth of July flooding.
The grants will help the community get back on its feet.
The foundation announced on Friday it has handed out more than $4-million dollars from the Kerr County Relief Fund. The largest at $1.2 million went to the Ingram School District to get classes ready for the start of the new school year.
Foundation CEO Austin Dixon said they've collected $60 million for flood relief.
"All of these donations have come from all over the country and some all over the world," he said. "We've tried to figure out through our legal counsel how to cash Canadian checks because we're getting support from far and wide."
"The largest donation that we received is a $5 million donation check, and we've also received check for $1 in the mail."
Dixon also told stories of getting donations from kids' lemonade stands. And he told the story about a woman who drove up in her beat-up vehicle to donate $25,000, money she had been saving for a new car for herself.
The more than $4 million announced on Friday brought the total grant distribution to non-profits from the flood relief fund to around $10 million to help the county recover.
The Ingram school district needs to replace its administration building and a security fence damaged in the flooding.
Other new grant recipients disclosed on Friday:
- The Center Point Alliance for Progress received $200,000.
- City West Church, where Mercy Chefs is serving up meals, received $200,000.
- The Hunt Preservation Society received $100,000 to help the Hunt area recover.
- The West Kerr Chamber of Commerce received $250,000. The chamber reports its local economy, largely based on campgrounds, vacation rentals, and hunting leases, has been devastated.
Among the chamber's goals is to recover before next summer's busy visitor season. That includes rebuilding the Hunt Store, the heart of the community, and return to selling its well-known Chicken Diablo sandwich.
The foundation will soon name a community advisory committee to help it prioritize grants in the medium and long term because the complete recovery could take years.
Disclosure: The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country is a TPR sponsor. We cover them like we would any other organization.
