Help Hurricane Victims in Beaumont

My name is Elroy Rigsby-Leday, president of the Beaumont Humanist Society. On top of the historically massive flood we just experienced, many citizens of Beaumont, Texas, have woken up Friday to the news that we have lost all potable water. City officials will need to wait until the flood recedes to assess the damage to the pumps and determine the extent of the repairs; additionally, our secondary supply has run out. In all likelihood, this will last an extended period of time—sources are placing the water outage at two to four weeks—and will leave people already devastated by the flood with no drinking water, no way to cook, and no water for sanitary uses. As people flee, this will further degrade our infrastructure for those who cannot leave.

We have been involved in volunteer services, coordinating supplies and rescuing trapped victims. Currently, Beaumont is impassible on all side to all vehicles, with the exception of some 18-wheelers, cutting off supplies from the outside, although this changes by the hour.

We are asking for your assistance in getting supplies to Beaumont, especially potable water. One hundred percent of all the money donated will go to either buying supplies for those in shelters or buying bottled water nearby.