16th March 2021
Donating $750,000 to Austin Area Urban League’s #LoveThyNeighborTX Emergency Donation Drive, sourcing nearly 500,000 packs of Flow Water’s eco-friendly boxed water and 5,000 pairs of Bombas socks into the Central Texas region to supplement efforts from local organizations.
Austin, TEXAS – (March 16, 2021) – The Sheth Sangreal Foundation (SSF) has donated $750,000 to Austin Area Urban League’s (AAUL) #LoveThyNeighborTX Emergency Donation Drive to support the region’s housing insecure and underserved communities during last month’s winter weather crisis and to help AAUL develop ongoing community-driven infrastructure.
The funds have supported AAUL’s efforts to address food, water, and housing insecurity experienced by those most in need in the Austin area. AAUL and their fellow community-focused organizations provided meals, non-perishable goods, clean water, clothing and survival kits to those sheltering in place. As part of immediate recovery efforts, the funds also supported AAUL’s relocation and transportation services to shelters, local hotels, and lodging costs.
In addition to supporting the AAUL emergency fund, The Sheth Sangreal Foundation sourced 500,000 packs of eco-friendly boxed water from Flow Hydration to serve thousands of individuals and households in the community that were affected by the disruption of water services in the area. Each truckload was strategically deployed to supplement the on-the-ground efforts of our community partners. The Sheth Sangreal Foundation partnered with AAUL to serve many of their local distribution sites, including Pflugerville Independent School District and Boys and Girls Clubs of San Marcos. SSF also provided water resources to other local organizations delivering aid directly to the most underserved members of the community including The Central Texas Food Bank; Boys and Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, home to the Sheth Family Campus; and Travis County.
“Last month, our community faced one of the largest disasters and water crisis of our lifetimes. So many people were without water for days, others for weeks, while some still don’t have water,” said Travis County Judge Andy Brown. “I am so thankful for the support of Sheth Sangreal Foundation in helping us respond to the needs of our community. They sent truckloads of water to our county that helped save people’s lives. We could not have made it through this storm without them.”
“Flow is a brand that stands for wellness through the positive power of water. In this case, through our incredible partnership with the Sheth Sangreal Foundation and its generosity, we were able to put that motto into action and address critical hydration needs with our high quality spring water. As a certified B-Corp, we commit to giving back to our communities and we are so grateful to the Sheth Sangreal Foundation for the opportunity to support their mission promoting resilience and wellbeing in and around Austin”, said Flow Founder and Executive Chairman, Nicholas Reichenbach.
“There are still so many people and families across our community in need of help following last month’s winter weather,” said SSF President Brian Sheth. “We’re committed to the long term support of our neighbors, many of whom aren’t supported by traditional means. AAUL’s funds will help repair and rebuild our community and provide ongoing aid to those who continue to experience food and housing insecurity long after the cold weather ends. We want to ensure that no one stands alone in these efforts.”
The impact of this unprecedented weather crisis will be felt in the community long after the cold weather breaks. In the coming weeks and months, AAUL will provide recovery aid in construction costs for infrastructure and water damage repairs that so many local individuals will incur.
“This was an opportunity for the Austin Area Urban League to come in and serve the community by providing immediate essential needs during this disaster, and to let the community define how we responded,” said Quincy Dunlap, AAUL President and CEO. “That’s the ideology that we’re moving forward with to continuously and strategically support the region beyond immediate needs and on to long term financial support to repair thousands of apartments, houses and businesses, along with ongoing food and housing support in the region.”
AAUL is also providing critical cold weather survival kits to those already experiencing housing insecurity in Austin this winter season. To help meet this need, SSF has partnered with Daymond John, and his investment company Bombas, a comfort-focused apparel brand with a mission to help those in need, to donate 5,000 pairs of Bombas socks to the AAUL for distribution to those most affected by the unprecedented cold weather in the region. “I’m honored to partner with Brian Sheth to support Austin Area Urban League’s continuing efforts,” said Daymond John. “In the past we’ve joined together to support environmental causes, but during this crisis it was important to support the people and community from within, resourcing an organization that’s community driven and focused on getting goods directly into the hands of those most in need.” Each pair of Bombas donation socks include reinforced seams for more durability, an antimicrobial treatment to prevent fungus and darker colors for less visible wear.
AAUL is still taking donations and in-kind resources to steward out to the people and communities in the Austin area who need them most. For more information on the LoveThyNeighborTX fundraising campaign and to donate, please visit https://aaul.org/love-your-neighbor
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About the Sheth Sangreal Foundation
The Sheth Sangreal Foundation is an Austin-based charitable organization founded by Brian and Adria Sheth. The foundation’s granting and best practices support networks, provide needed funds and resources to allow the most vulnerable of life to thrive. It has a strong focus on the health and biodiversity of our planet, the emotional wellbeing of children, music and arts education, and the support for veterans and their families. Sangreal’s process-driven systematic approach connects people together, provides best practices and essential resources to deliver effective and measurable global impact. More at https://www.sangrealfoundation.org/
