'We Are Enduring An Absolute Catastrophe': Dallas Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund Accepting Donations

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson on Thursday, Feb. 18, announced the Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund is accepting donations to help with response and recovery efforts to the winter storm and power outages.

To donate to the fund, which is sponsored by The Dallas Foundation, click here.

"We are enduring an absolute catastrophe, and the people of Dallas will need more help in the days and months ahead," Mayor Eric Johnson said. "If you have the means, I encourage you to donate to the Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund and to any other reputable organizations seeking to help our local response and recovery efforts."

The Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund was initially created to help the city shelter Hurricane Katrina refugees in 2005.

The money in the fund can only be used in the event of a federally declared disaster in Dallas.

The entire state of Texas received a federal disaster declaration for the winter storm from President Joe Biden on Sunday, Feb. 14.

"We're proud to have hosted and administered the Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund since 2005, and to have supported the significant relief deployed during previous federally declared disasters," said Matthew Randazzo, President and CEO of The Dallas Foundation. "We join the City of Dallas in asking individuals and organizations to help those in our region who have been most impacted by the winter storm and look forward to facilitating the deployment of these critical resources."

The Fund last year distributed $275,000 to organizations that were helping residents amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.