Mayor Craig Morgan writes a monthly column for the Round Rock Leader.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” — Mr. Rogers
As Round Rock and other cities across Texas begin to ease into reopening the economy, many in our community are preparing our minds for a shift in life as we’ve known it for the past month.
You may be preparing for a return to working in person, reopening a business, ordering masks before leaving your home or planning a visit to see family or friends for the first time in a while. Even as we move forward, many in our community continue to face hardships caused by COVID-19. In true Round Rock fashion, several organizations and groups have come together to help those in need.
The Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD), made up of local non-profits in Williamson County, have set up drop-off donation sites for non-medical items to be delivered to vulnerable populations and elderly residents.
Round Rock Area Serving Center has been running a modified food pantry by delivering groceries curbside to families in need. In its first three weeks of the program, the Center served more than 3,000 people, 35 percent of whom had been personally impacted by COVID-19. Thousands of dollars have also been provided in direct relief to families in need. All of this has been with 12 to 15 volunteers and six staff members. Several in our community have stepped up to donate food, money and recycled grocery bags to assist.
Opportunities for Williamson and Burnet Counties, probably best known for running Meals on Wheels and Head Start, is working to provide basic items to their clients who are unable to visit the store for their needs, even in the best of times. Their work is not done as many of their program participants continue to shelter in place, and they are still seeking donations of money as well as basic needs, from food to toiletries.
Our local school districts have banded together to provide mental health support to students and families who have been facing difficulties as a result of COVID-19. Round Rock ISD has a plethora of resources on its website, roundrockisd.org, that could benefit all in our community, even if you don’t have a school-aged child.
One of the causes closest to my heart has been Round Rock Cares. We announced Round Rock Cares in conjunction with the Round Rock Chamber, Dell Technologies and the Greater Round Rock Community Foundation to help our small businesses in Round Rock by allocating financial resources as quickly and as directly as possible in their greatest time of need. In the first round of fundraising, we were able to raise nearly $400,000 as a community to help 160 small businesses in need. I have been so proud of our community coming together to lift up the entrepreneurs who make our city such a special place to live.
Although these are all established organizations in our community, several others have come together in less formal ways to provide for those in need. So many of our residents have helped by making masks, picking up necessary items and groceries for neighbors and coming up with creative ways to lift each other up.
There are other non-profits in our community who may not directly feed or provide money to those in need, but still do important work that we should support. Arts and culture is an area that has been especially hit hard as events have had to cancel. In Round Rock, we are missing events such as Sculptfest, Music on Main and Artist Pop-Up Shows that feed our own desire for entertainment while helping support local artists. Try not to forget the various groups around town who need to survive so we can look forward to creative experiences on the other side of this.
I am so proud of Round Rock staying true to ourselves in supporting each other. As we move forward, we will continue to face these challenges together. It’s important that we continue to lift up not only our residents and businesses, but the organizations that are supporting them. In the midst of these times, always look for the helpers, and ask if you could be one yourself. To learn more about giving or receiving assistance, visit roundrocktexas.gov/coronavirus.
