MILWAUKEE — A southeast Wisconsin based non-profit, CannedWater4Kids, packed up the first of three shipments of water headed to Conroe, Texas on Tuesday. The organization has sent canned water across the country, and the world, after natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes strike. This time, founder Greg Stromberg knew help was needed in Texas following the devastating winter storms that left many without access to electricity or clean water.
"The children down there that are suffering from exposure to the cold and dehydration, we just felt we needed to figure something out,” Stromberg said. "When people are hurting, why wouldn’t you? I mean it’s the human thing to do, isn’t it? And like I said, I have a family and I look at my kids and my grandchildren and I just, how can you say no?”
In total, CannedWater4Kids will send approximately 100,800 cans of water to a food bank in Conroe, Texas. Along with Tuesday's shipment, two more shipments are expected to head out in the coming days.
Doris Shneidman knows first hand just how much that help is needed.
Shneidman is from Shorewood, but has spent the last four winters in Austin, Texas with family. While escaping Wisconsin winters, she hardly thought she'd ever find herself in the middle of a historic winter storm down south.
"It was very scary to know all the people who had a new baby, or a senior who was dependent on electricity for a medical device. It was pretty scary," Shneidman said.
Shneidman said she was without electricity for about four days. Luckily, her son brought her a generator to help keep the lights on. However, not much could be done about the boil water notice her neighborhood was under. That notice was just lifted on Tuesday.
But despite the tragedy many families faced, Shneidman said she saw neighbors coming together, whether it was cooking a hot meal for one another or figuring out how to light a stove without electricity. And, when asked about the help her Wisconsin neighbors are sending in the form of canned water, Shneidman said she feels "very proud."
Shneidman also mentioned that the Central Texas Food Bank is in need of donations, you can help by clicking here.
And if you want to support CannedWater4Kids, you can do that here.
