Dear MoveOn member, 

A crisis approaching the scale of Hurricane Katrina is happening across
the entire state of Texas right now, according to local officials.^1

The situation remains "life or death" for many, with millions of Texans
facing food and water shortages following days of power outages—as the
state braces for even more extreme winter weather.^2

While most homes in Texas have regained power, millions of Texans are
without clean water, because the storm damaged water treatment plants and
caused pipes to freeze.^3 Grocery store shelves are empty, due to
disruptions in the food supply chain.

Texans are in desperate need of help, which is why MoveOn is partnering
with the nonprofit Workers Defense Project to provide direct assistance to
those in need.

[ [link removed] ]John, in this time of crisis, we need to show up for each
other. If you are able to help, please click here now to rush an urgent,
tax-deductible donation to the Workers Defense Project to help Texans most
in need.

The Workers Defense Project has been on the ground in Texas for years,
organizing tirelessly to help workers protect and expand their rights,
with a particular focus on immigrant workers who form the backbone of the
construction industry.

When the coronavirus pandemic began, the Workers Defense Project set up a
$3.5 million mutual aid fund to support community members who lost their
jobs and were on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight.

And in the wake of last week's devastating storm, the Workers Defense
Project partnered with the Texas Organizing Project, which organizes Black
and Latinx communities, to restart the direct relief fund to help those
impacted directly because of lost work or damage to their homes. Together,
these organization are: 

* Partnering with other local organizations to call and text millions of
Texans to connect people with warming centers, water and food
distribution sites, and other resources.
* Using this moment to galvanize and organize Texans to take on
deregulation, inequality, climate change, and other deep, structural
issues that left so many vulnerable when the storm hit.

The Workers Defense Project is doing the essential, emergency work to
provide aid to those currently in crisis in Texas, while also investing in
the long-term organizing needed to prevent another disaster from
happening.

[ [link removed] ]Will you make a tax-deductible gift now to help out in Texas? 100% of
your donation will go directly to the Workers Defense Project.

When tragedy strikes, MoveOn members like you have always quickly come
together to assist communities in need.

MoveOn members chipped in millions of dollars to provide much-needed
assistance to victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and residents of
Flint, MI, during the water crisis, and to bail out Black Lives Matter
protesters who had been unjustly jailed.

While our donations cannot undo all of the damage, together, we can ease
the burdens of those who are suffering and those who are working around
the clock to help them.

Black, Latinx, and poor communities are often hit the hardest when a
natural disaster strikes, and this time is no different. Communities of
color were the first to face power outages, and local officials are
fearing for the lives and safety of homeless people in the state.^4

Your contribution today will help connect families in need to warming
centers, food, and water. And you will also be lessening the financial hit
from the storm. Many Texans are losing out on income, sorely needed during
the economically devastating COVID-19 pandemic, and are being saddled with
enormous new expenses resulting from damaged pipes bursting and roofs
collapsing.

[ [link removed] ]If you are able, will you rush an emergency, tax-deductible donation
right now to help Texans in need?

Thanks for all you do.

–Emma, Justin, Mark, Amy, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "'A Katrina-Scale Crisis': Austin Is Desperate For Help In Weather
Disaster," NPR, February 19, 2021
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2. "As Texans Recover Power, 'It's Life Or Death' For Many Bracing For
More Frigid Temps," NPR, February 18, 2021
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3. "Cracked Pipes, Frozen Wells, Offline Treatment Plants: A Texan Water
Crisis," The New York Times, February 18, 2021
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4. "Already hit hard by pandemic, Black and Hispanic communities suffer
the blows of an unforgiving winter storm," The Texas Tribune, February 19,
2021
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