In February, Winter Storm Uri swept across the American Southwest, causing a disproportionately devastating impact on the state of Texas. As temperatures dropped and power grids failed across the state, families and communities faced extreme distress.
That included Texas’s community of advocates for women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. As a result of the storm, Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support—which serves thousands across the Dallas area each year—experienced major damage and flooding. Genesis provides a vital ongoing lifeline to families who have experienced domestic violence, including emergency shelter services, transitional housing, counseling services, and pro bono legal services. Yet, amid sweeping power outages, it was forced to completely shut its doors for the first time in close to 40 years of operation.
In acknowledgement of Genesis Women’s Shelter’s important work and in support of their recovery from this crisis, Archewell Foundation reached out to fulfill the shelter’s pressing need to replace the roof and make repairs at Annie’s House, their transitional housing facility for women and children, and to provide additional resources for Genesis to help in its emergency response.
The Duke and Duchess created Archewell Foundation to mobilize compassion in action, and to harness the power of community and of our shared humanity. Like so many, they were heartbroken to see so many across Texas struggling to access the very basic resources we all need—water, heat, food, shelter—and believe that lifting each other up in times of crisis is at the very core of achieving more compassionate communities.