The past year was difficult for the people of the Texas Hill Country, where flooding on July 4 devastated properties and claimed what was precious and irreplaceable. More than 100 people died, including 25 girls and two counsellors at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp in the town of Hunt. The camp, which will turn a century old in 2026, lies along the banks of the Guadalupe River.
After intense rainfall, the river became a raging torrent that inundated Kerr County, sweeping homes, cabins, and vehicles from Camp Mystic in Hunt and then into the towns of Ingram, Kerrville, and Center Point.
Renee Marilyn Smajstrlam, an 8-year-old parishioner at St. Peter’s Church in Kerrville, was among the victims. “At the time, Renee was doing what she loved most,” reads a letter about a memorial fund created in her name. During a memorial service held at the parish, mourners were asked to wear bright colors as a tribute to her colorful personality.
At least six more parishioners died in the floods, including a husband and wife and their two children, ages 7 and 3.
The Sunday immediately after the calamity, Bishop David Read of West Texas visited St. Peter’s to offer support and sympathy. He also painted an honest picture of what lay ahead: “Rescue and recovery efforts are much like a sprint, and pretty soon it’s going to turn into a marathon,” he said. “It’s going to be long, and we’re with you for the long haul.”
Six months after the waters receded, the marathon may soon begin for survivors and grieving families of one of the deadlier flooding disasters in United States history.
“We learned early on that it was our job to listen to the needs of the community and be flexible, and respond, and fill the gap as quickly as we could,” said Katherine Boyette. A veteran of the nonprofit world, the St. Peter’s parishioner was returning from a family trip when she learned of the flooding. “When this disaster happened, I think many people in the parish, including myself, felt called to help in whatever small way they could,” Boyette said.
She was invited by the rector, the Rev. Bert Baez, to serve as coordinator of a new ministry called Help and Hope for Hill Country. The coordinated response, established immediately after July 4, was made possible by donations sent directly to St. Peter’s and the Diocese of West Texas. Among the ministry’s partners are Episcopal Relief & Development and the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
To date, Help and Hope has provided $700,000 in immediate assistance to more than 280 individuals and families. It has distributed grocery and clothing cards and supplied the Hunt Fire Department with tools such as coolers, ice, a deep freezer, and a side-by-side ATV—a vehicle used by responders to deliver food in difficult terrain.
The early stage of the response focused on immediate relief and supplies, and helping those whose homes were destroyed find temporary, and eventually more permanent, housing. Boyette and her team, which includes four case managers, also discerned early on that mental health care would be a major long-term need.
The ministry worked with the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, which supports children and families who have experienced loss. One result of the collaboration was equipping the faculty of the parish school to minister to children affected by the flood.
Help and Hope’s case managers handle an average of 20 to 40 cases each. “When you’ve experienced a disaster like this and lost many things or people in your life, you often need someone to walk alongside you in that process,” Boyette said of their significant role in the recovery effort. Case managers assist community members with paperwork (among other things) so they can access aid from partner organizations, including mental health counseling.
If the first six months of recovery focused on helping survivors and grieving families regain stability and a sense of normalcy, the next phase will center more on healing, as the mental health effects of trauma persist.
Boyette said mental health care will vary by individual and be tailored to the type of loss experienced. She emphasized that services remain available whenever individuals are ready, particularly for children who lost friends and family members during the summer.
In downtown Hunt, the ministry purchased two mobile homes and placed them behind the Hunt Store—a beloved grocery and gathering place also damaged by the flood—to provide resident services, including medical assistance. The site also serves as a hub for coordinating volunteers and resources. Consistent with its guiding principles, the purpose of the Help and Hope Recovery Village will continue to evolve.
“We know that we have to be nimble, so the Recovery Village may take several forms to meet the needs of the Hunt community in the aftermath of the flood,” Baez said.
Boyette said the ministry’s case management program will last at least the next 18 months. Help and Hope will remain active through 2026 and possibly beyond. What the parish consistently reminds parishioners and community members, however, is this: “We are with them, and we’re with them for the long haul. And we’re here to heal together and get through this together with God.”
Caleb Maglaya Galaraga is The Living Church’s Episcopal Church reporter. His work has also appeared in Christianity Today, Broadview Magazine, and Presbyterian Outlook, among other publications.
