How to Help

Photo by Kat Goins

Weeks after the initial deluge, a team of Chronicle staffers dug our butts into the mud at the home of our colleague Dallen Terrell's grandparents. If you're committed to binning countless shards of glass and grubby screws, the occasional treasure waits to be pried away. A plastic bag with ancient ID cards (see "Lost & Found in Wimberley," Aug. 13). A couple of coins someone meant to mail in for testing. Weeks of collecting debris yielded little visible improvement; for a while after the flood, the ground would just keep churning out more.

Recovery efforts continue. Volunteer groups sprang into action in the days following the floods; our group from the Chronicle was not unique. A contingent of Chili's employees volunteered to help the Forbes family.

"It's easy to get cynical these days, but to watch these volunteers come in," said Marlin Forbes, "these young kids, and the joy they brought, the care they brought, the love they brought .... That has been life-changing for me."

The Forbes family is just one helped by the Austin Disaster Relief Network, a patchwork of Christian organizations and businesses. Nanette Forbes, Marlin's sister, said an ADRN rep sponsors them and has remained in contact with them throughout recovery.

You can still help by signing up with VolunteerTX at www.volunteertx.org. ServeSanMarcos.org is also still matching volunteers to families in need. Recruits are needed to help rebuild homes, clean up trash and other debris, and distribute flood information to rural communities.

If you have health issues that prevent you from volunteering, but you would still like to help, Wimberley Strong hats and T-shirts are still on sale throughout the community, and each purchase benefits My Neighbor's Keeper (www.mynkwimberley.org).