07/10/2025
This hat isn’t just my favorite—it’s part of who we are. River People. It represents the Guadalupe River, where our most cherished memories were made. Where my parents met. Where we fell in love with long summer days, bare feet on the rocks, laughter echoing down the banks. Where our children have created their core memories. This river raised us.
But this week, the river reminded us of its power in the most heartbreaking way.
Kerr County, our home, is grieving. The flooding has taken so much—homes, safety, peace. But most devastatingly, it’s taken lives. Families are forever changed. Friends are broken. An entire cabin of beautiful, joyful little girls was lost in an instant. It’s the kind of loss that echoes far beyond the banks. The kind that shakes a whole town to its core.
The pain is overwhelming. There are no words big enough for it.
And yet, even in the darkest waters, light finds a way.
We’ve seen this community rise with an outpouring of love—neighbors helping neighbors, strangers becoming family. Meals are being delivered. Clothes and supplies donated. Tears shared. Hands held. The same river that has given us so many memories is now revealing just how deeply connected we all are.
If you’re looking for a way to help, please visit the links below to support the families, the first responders, and everyone working tirelessly to help piece this town back together.
💧 Community Relief Fund
cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com
⛪ Southern Oaks Church
southernoakskerrville.org
🚒 Hunt VFD & Cross Kingdom Church
crosskingdom.org
🍽️ Meal Relief (Mercy Chefs / WCK)
mercychefs.com | wck.org
🐾 Kerrville Pets Alive
kerrvillepetsalive.org
🔍 TEXSAR Search & Rescue
texsar.org/donate
🌟 Renee Smajstrla Memorial Fund
(Donate link coming soon—via San Antonio Area Foundation)
We will carry the weight of this loss together. We will honor those we’ve lost by continuing to love, to rebuild, and to hold each other up.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5
