Hermingildo Garcia didn’t have time to think—just a few moments to grab what he could before running for his life.
“He said, I need you to grab whatever you can and get out because you’re building’s on fire.”
Within minutes, smoke was pouring out of the eaves outside his bedroom window.
“Within, I want to say within 10–15 minutes, I could see the smoke coming out of the eaves of my bedroom window, ’cause my bedroom faced the parking lot, and I could see the smoke coming out already.”
Then came the voice of the fire department:
“Everybody, we need to get you out of the building.”
By the time everyone made it outside, flames were already pushing through the roof.
“The fire was pretty raging, pretty strong. From what I could see, the flames were already coming out of the roof.”
His apartment was gone. No ceiling. Debris everywhere. Everything soaked, ruined, or burned beyond recognition.
“My apartment was destroyed. The ceiling was gone in every room.”
“The shoes I had on were the only shoes that I had, it’s all I had left.”
Imagine that: standing outside your home with nothing but the clothes on your back—and not even an extra pair of shoes. That’s where Hermingildo found himself. And that’s where Hope Family Thrift stepped in.
Through our partnership with Austin Disaster Relief Network, Hermingildo received gift cards for both groceries and clothing. That practical support made a real, immediate difference.
“When I met with your group not too long ago, they talked to me, they provide some spiritual help as well, and they also provided some gift cards.”
But more than food or clothes, those small gestures reminded him he wasn’t alone.
“It was hard looking at the devastation, at the loss, the thought of how—what’s gonna get through this. And when I started seeing getting that assistance, it actually made me realize or made me just think that I was gonna make this.”
That kind of support—material, spiritual, and emotional—matters deeply in a moment of crisis. To Hermingildo, it meant more than help. It meant hope.
“I think giving is important at all times. It shows that humanity is still there. That God is still working with us.”
His gratitude is hard to put into words, but he tried anyway:
“There’s no words that can express the gratitude that I felt, that I feel for everything that’s been done.”
“I thank you for your organization and for what you said and everything that you all do.”
And he hopes that others—maybe even you, reading this—will keep the support going:
“I just hope that more people will give to organizations like this to continue to help people—regardless if they lose something or not—but just having something like this here, it’s probably one of the best things that we could have here.”
“And I thank you guys. Thank you.”
This is what your generosity does. It meets people like Hermingildo in their darkest hour and reminds them that they’re not alone—that God is still near, working through willing hearts.
Hermingildo’s story is a living reminder that even in the wake of disaster, compassion can be a lifeline. Every donation, every thrift store purchase, every volunteer hour—each one helps someone like Hermingildo take a step toward healing.
Thank you for helping us be a vessel of God’s love and hope in North Austin. Together, we are restoring what was lost—and building something stronger in its place.