NEW YORK — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) announced Thursday that she had raised over $1 million for relief efforts in Texas.
The announcement came hours after the congresswoman said she was raising money for five separate Texas organizations Thursday evening.
The money will be split, according to Ocasio-Cortez, among The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, Ending Community Homeless Coalition (ECHO), Family Eldercare, Houston Food Bank, and Feeding Texas. The organizations are working around the clock to assist houseless, hungry and senior Texans in Travis and Dallas County, and beyond.
Team AOC is launching relief efforts for Texas starting today.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 18, 2021
Our first effort is a partnership w/ 5 Texas orgs getting on-the-ground relief to Texans ASAP.
If you’re able, please donate here - it’ll split your contribution to all 5.
💯% goes to them.https://t.co/TTIiNimja7
Within a couple of hours, Ocasio-Cortez announced they'd amassed $325,000 and announced a goal of $1 million by midnight.
Holy smokes.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 19, 2021
Our Texas relief mobilization has already raised $325k for food, housing, elder care & direct relief straight to vulnerable Texans.
This might be a little crazy... but can we raise $1M by midnight?
💯% goes to Feeding Texas, ECHO & more: https://t.co/TTIiNimja7 https://t.co/OO57AoLmR9
She announced that they'd hit that target just before 10 p.m.
Wow.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 19, 2021
We officially raised $1 million for Texas relief at 9:17pm.
Thank you all so much. 🙏🏽 I’m at a loss for words. Always in awe of movement work.
💯% of this relief is going straight to Texan food assistance, homelessness relief, elder care, and more. https://t.co/DSkTSqfbkZ
Ocasio-Cortez, said the money will go to help charities that "food, housing, elder care & direct relief straight to vulnerable Texans."
As of Friday morning, 189,000 homes and businesses are still without power in Texas. That number is a significant improvement from the millions that were without electricity earlier this week, but it means that thousands of people have gone without electricity for nearly five straight days in some of the coldest temperatures the state has ever seen.
The state is also now facing a water crisis, as the freezing weather has cracked pipes and left some sanitation stations inoperable. As of Friday morning, 12 million Texans are under orders to boil water before drinking, adding yet another obstacle to those who are still cold and without power.
This story was originally published by Stephen M. Lepore on WPIX in New York City.
