INGRAM, Texas – An Ingram community volunteer spent the first three weeks after the recent Hill Country floods helping neighbors, but now she is focused on rebuilding her business and livelihood.
“When all this happened and I couldn’t get to my business, the only thing I needed to do was call our (Ingram Volunteer Fire Department) chief and ask, ‘What do you need?’” said AJ Nelson, an Ingram business owner. “‘All hands on deck.’ I said, ‘Okay, I’m on my way.’”
Nelson spent long days coordinating equipment, staff and supplies at IVFD.
“This was the focus — being here for the community," Nelson said. “Eventually, I had to step back and say, ‘Okay, I’ve got to start taking care of me and mine.’ Our chief was like, ‘When are you going to take care of your stuff?’ So, here we are.”
More than 40 days after the flood and cleanup, Nelson showed what remains of her boutique, Vintage Hair Co.; only four walls are left.
The mud reached over 7 feet in the building, destroying the salon she had just held an opening for two weeks before. She is focused on rebuilding in the same spot.
“The hardest part is I’m a very hurry-up, hurry-up person, and the ‘hurry up and wait’ is getting to me,” Nelson said. “The community needs us back. We need to be back here. I want to be able to have jobs open for (my salon workers). I had a couple people inquire when all this happened. I want people to work. I want to bring the community in.”
Nelson’s insurance did not cover this type of flood damage. She is starting from zero and is currently waiting on grants, a process that is taking a long time.
“I’m going to work in somebody else’s shop occasionally when I have a client or two. I’m trying to work where I can,” she said. “The paperwork ... it’s hard for me to ask for help when I see others who need so much more. But I also know I didn’t lose my home, my children, or my parents. We’re very blessed. But I lost my way to support us. It’s not just my livelihood; it’s 30 years of a career—all of my tools."
Nelson is deeply grateful for all the people who have offered to help her through email and Facebook. She says she will get back to all of them at some point. But everything is one step at a time in her rebuilding process.
"I love that everybody is staying so involved. I was worried we would disappear from, you know, the public eye, and I’m speaking on behalf of my community when I say that," she said. “We need all the prayers and support, and I know everybody’s ready for it to go back to normal, but we’re still in cleanup.”
The US Small Business Administration has set aside $8 million dollars to help the flood victims including businesses, here’s how to find out more information.