When the Guadalupe River surged through Texas Hill Country last summer, many families were swept away, losing their belongings in the deadly flooding. Elida Sierra Lutz and her three children were among those who fought for their lives, only to realize everything they had brought camping was gone.
Recovery Efforts
A group of volunteers, led by Dondi Voigt Persyn, a mother of three and grandmother of four from Boerne, Texas, came together to help reunite flood survivors with their lost items. They created a Facebook group, FOUND on the Guadalupe River, where people could post about items they had lost or found.
The group’s efforts led to many successful reunifications, including Elida’s 10-year-old daughter’s white Crocs, which were found with two remaining charms: a pink sugar-sprinkled animal cracker and a brown chocolate chip cookie. Elida was also able to recover her son’s black hoodie, glasses, and her daughter’s lifejacket.
The volunteers worked tirelessly to clean, dry, and restore the recovered items, which were then photographed, cataloged, and sealed in Ziploc bags. The warehouse where the items were stored became a safe space for survivors to share their stories and collect their belongings.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
