Dear MoveOn member, 

Freezing temperatures have left millions of people across Texas without
power, heat, food, and water, and already 30 people have died as a result
of the arctic blast.^1

Hospitals are overwhelmed by Texas residents suffering from hypothermia;
grocery stores are running out of food; and some families have resorted to
burning their furniture in order to stay warm, while others are boiling
snow so they can have clean water.^2,3

The situation is harrowing, and the needs on the ground are tremendous.
MoveOn is springing into action by raising emergency humanitarian funds
for the nonprofit Workers Defense Project, which is on the front lines of
this tragedy and is connecting impacted families to warming centers,
water, and food. 

[ [link removed] ]But we urgently need your help. Will you rush a tax-deductible donation
to the Workers Defense Project's emergency fund to help victims on the
ground in Texas?

John, despicably, when the arctic storm hit, Texas Senator Ted
Cruz abandoned his constituents and flew to Cancún, Mexico, for a
luxurious vacation.^4 And one conservative Texas mayor told his
constituents who are desperate for heat, water, and power that "only the
strong will survive and the weak will [perish.]"^5

It's clear that we can't count on elected officials like Ted Cruz to lead
during this crisis. 

So it's going to be up to all of us to step up and do whatever we can to
support local emergency efforts and help the victims of this terrifying
blizzard.

The Texas Organizing Project, which organizes Black and Latinx
communities, and the Workers Defense Project, which fights for the rights
of immigrants workers, are working around the clock to serve their
communities and ensure that people in need are safe, healthy, and
warm. Together, these organizations are:

* Distributing relief funds to help those directly impacted;
* Partnering with other local organizations to call and text millions of
Texans to connect people with warming centers and water and food
distribution sites; and
* Using this moment to galvanize and organize folks in Texas to take on
deregulation, inequality, climate change, and other deep, structural
issues that left so many vulnerable when the storm hit.

[ [link removed] ]Will you rush an emergency contribution right now to support the
humanitarian relief efforts on the ground in Texas? 100% of your donation
is tax-deductible and 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 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.^6

Your contribution today will help connect families in need to warming
centers, food, and water. And you will also be lessening their financial
impact 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 donation right now to help
Texans in need?

Thanks for all you do. 

–Emma, Isbah, Sana, Elsie, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Live Updates: Power Comes Back in Texas, but Water Systems Are
Crippled," The New York Times, February 19, 2021
[link removed]

2. "Texas homeless population seeks refuge amid bone-chilling
temperatures," NBC News, February 18, 2021
[link removed]

3. "Texas weather: Deaths mount as winter storm leaves millions without
power," BBC News, February 18, 2021
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4. "'Obviously a mistake': Sen. Ted Cruz says he regrets going to Cancún
while Texans froze," NBC News, February 18, 2021
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5. "Texas mayor resigns after telling residents desperate for power and
heat 'only the strong will survive,'" CBS News, February 18, 2021
[link removed]

6. "Texas Blackouts Hit Minority Neighborhoods Especially Hard," The New
York Times, February 16, 2021
[link removed]



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