Help My Elderly Parents Rebuild After Texas Flooding

My name is Toney Vast-Binder and I am an educator living in the city of Chicago. My parents, both 81 years old, have just experienced a devastating loss. They live in a senior community along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas — an area recently overwhelmed by catastrophic flooding. Their home and car were destroyed.

My father suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease and is no longer able to walk, talk, or feed himself. Until now, my mother has insisted on caring for him at home, but in the aftermath of this disaster, she has had no choice but to move him to a nursing facility while she tries to figure out what comes next.

While FEMA can assist with cleanup and their insurance will help replace their car, they had no flood insurance — like many others in their community. The premiums were simply unaffordable on a fixed income, and flooding in the region had been rare. Sadly, it was a gamble that didn’t pay off.

Their home must now be completely gutted and rebuilt. My mother’s goal is to restore it just enough to be able to sell and relocate somewhere safer in Kerrville, away from future flood risk. My mom estimates the financial need for their housing and my dad’s care is well over six figures.

My sister, Emily, and I are incredibly relieved that they were rescued and are physically safe, but they have lost nearly everything and are now displaced. Any contribution — big or small — will make a meaningful difference as they try to recover from this heartbreaking situation.

Thank you for reading and for supporting my family in this time of crisis.