Texas Grandma Inspires Hope After Historic Floods

Quick Smiles:

• A Texas grandma is helping neighbors reclaim precious belongings after severe floods.
• A grassroots Facebook group reunites thousands with lost treasures, big and small.
• One woman’s kindness sparks a wave of community hope and connection.

When devastating floods recently struck central Texas, one woman’s compassion emerged as a beacon of hope for her community. Dondi Persyn, a 54-year-old grandmother from Boerne, lived just miles from the flooded Guadalupe River. Although her own home remained safe, she felt compelled to help those who weren’t as fortunate.

Dondi’s caring journey began simply—by picking up items she found along the riverbank while waiting for search crews. “I had this feeling that if it were my family, or my children or my grandchildren, I’d probably want something,” she explained. This one thoughtful gesture soon blossomed into a dedicated recovery mission.

To connect neighbors with their missing keepsakes, Dondi created a Facebook group called “FOUND on the Guadalupe River.” Thanks to her initiative, the group quickly swelled to over 20,000 members. Within the online community, people shared photos of found belongings, from children’s shoes and lifejackets to precious jewelry and unique treasures like a totem pole with feathers still intact.

Reunion stories began pouring in. One teacher found her long-lost necklace. Another woman rejoiced at recovering missing clothes and cherished ornaments. The group even helped reunite a family with their dental retainer and tracked down a lost cat named Samson two weeks after the floods, thanks to the network’s caring helpers.

Dondi and her team of volunteers treat every item with respect—they carefully sort, clean, and preserve each find, washing clothing and labeling bins. “We’re treating everything like it’s the most important thing,” she said. “We don’t know if that’s someone’s last remnant of a loved one.”

Although she isn’t an emergency responder by trade, Dondi’s background in running a vintage store and her work as a perfumer have given her an eye for details—and a big heart for her neighbors. Her kindness has brought comfort to so many, showing how one person’s empathy can ripple out to touch thousands.

“It’s really fated,” she reflected. “We have to teach other communities to do what we did.” Every day, thanks to Dondi and her growing circle of helpers, small miracles are happening: lost memories are returned, hope is restored, and strangers are coming together as neighbors.

To echo Mr. Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” These words ring true in Texas right now.

For a closer look at this heartwarming effort in action, watch local volunteers reunite neighbors with their lost treasures:

Stories like this remind us how a single act of kindness can grow into something much bigger—a force for hope, connection, and healing in the aftermath of hardship.

Source