INGRAM, Texas – As of Wednesday, hundreds of fundraisers have been implemented to assist people impacted by the July 4 floods in the Hill Country.
People have used GoFundMe, a popular online fundraising platform, to provide donations.
Ashley McCormick created a GoFundMe account for her family to receive assistance. However, she said she has been frustrated by the process.
McCormick told KSAT she realized action was necessary when she saw the condition of the Ingram home, where her father lives with her sister.
“Cars gone. Homes gone. Essentially, they were left with nothing,” said McCormick. “Their clothes were soaking wet, covered in mud. Groceries, appliances, everything was gone.”
McCormick created the GoFundMe account, titled “Help Gary and Leeann Rebuild After Flood,” on July 5. It only took a week to reach her fundraising goal of $5,000.
Now, the account has climbed to $8,650 in donations.
“We’ve been so lucky in this community,” said McCormick.
McCormick stated that her family did not receive the money right away. She said her family asked to withdraw the funds on July 19, but the money was not available until Aug. 7.
To make matters worse, McCormick discovered an issue with how she had set up the account.
GoFundMe states that donations are only released to the individual named as the beneficiary of the funds. Before the individual receives money, GoFundMe needs to verify their personal information.
“That money isn’t as instant as you giving it and it being deposited into your account,” McCormick said.
KSAT shared McCormick’s experience with GoFundMe, and the issue was resolved. A company spokesperson said their priority is to “balance speed and safety.”
“Our top priority is to balance speed and safety in order to ensure funds get to the right place as quickly as possible,” the company said in a statement. “Once a beneficiary sets up their banking information, transfers typically take 2-5 business days to arrive, depending on the individual’s financial institution. We know these donations are critical and continue to work directly with organizers and beneficiaries to support them throughout the process.”
Now that McCormick’s family has what they need, she wants to make one thing clear: she’s grateful for GoFundMe.
However, she hopes that people relying on the company for emergencies can access their funds more quickly.
“GoFundMe has done a great job in creating a space for people to be able to essentially fundraise very conveniently,” said McCormick.
GoFundMe told KSAT that the company has a dedicated team working around the clock to help people impacted by the floods in the Hill Country.
Anyone who wants to contact GoFundMe’s support team, click here.
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