Written by Hsiulien Chu
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
In the early morning hours of November 5, 2025, a fire damaged multiple units at River Bend Apartments in Wharton, Texas, displacing residents and leaving some families without a home to return to. After learning about the incident, Tzu Chi USA Southern Region volunteers quickly mobilized and held a disaster relief distribution on November 8, providing $7,800 in cash cards and 25 eco-friendly blankets to aid 11 affected families. Inspired by the assistance they received, several survivors took bamboo banks home, pledging to give back and keep the cycle of love going.
Tzu Chi Volunteers Mobilize Swiftly
The Tzu Chi USA Southern Region immediately launched disaster relief efforts after volunteers received a message from Barbara “Barbie” Fortenberry, Assistant Executive Director at Just Do It Now, a Wharton-based nonprofit that supports individuals and families through youth programs and community services. “We began compiling lists of disaster survivors the very next day, and our volunteers started signing up. Everything moved quickly, and our current Standard Operating Procedure was swiftly put into action,” Southern Region Deputy Executive Director Roger Lin said.
Fires are essentially similar to floods, often destroying entire homes. Therefore, these supplies and cash cards must be delivered immediately to provide timely assistance.
At the November 8, 2025 distribution, Tzu Chi provided blankets and cash cards ranging from $600 to $1,000, based on household size. The volunteers also provided donated clothing, shoes, and household items to help families meet urgent needs.
Seeking Tzu Chi's Assistance Once Again
Barbara “Barbie” Fortenberry first connected with Tzu Chi during Hurricane Harvey disaster relief in 2017, and she has worked with Tzu Chi on several occasions since then. Today, she serves as a community liaison for Tzu Chi’s disaster relief efforts in the area.
Fortenberry previously lived at River Bend Apartments. After the November 5, 2025 fire, she said she woke up to numerous messages asking if she was safe. Trying to understand what had happened, she went to Facebook and saw reports of the fire, including flames in an apartment she had lived in not long ago. She immediately got dressed and went to the complex to check on families in person, offering hugs and reassurance.
“I know it’s a smaller scale, as people like to look at it, the number of families that were affected, but 11 families have basically lost their home and everything in it. So that’s going to be quite a process to rebuild for them,” she said. “My first thought was, I need to call my friends and see if they’re available to help.”
After gathering information, Fortenberry reached out to Tzu Chi for assistance. “Knowing that you guys have been committed to us for some time now, and have let us know you love and care about us, and that if there is a situation we can reach out to you, I was so grateful when you all immediately responded and said you would be here to help,” she said.
Fortenberry explained that once Tzu Chi confirmed volunteers could come, she contacted each family individually to let them know a team from Houston would be arriving to provide financial support and care, saying, “They would like to assist you financially for your situation and show you some love and compassion as well.”
With a cold front expected to roll in just days after the November 5 fire, volunteers moved quickly to hold the November 8 distribution so displaced families could receive blankets and other essentials as soon as possible. Many families arrived at the distribution still shaken, but grateful to receive immediate help as they began figuring out their next steps.
Twice Devastated by Fire, Yet Stronger in Adversity
Norrisha Senegal, one of the residents affected by the fire, moved to River Bend Apartments after losing her home in a house fire on August 11, 2023. She didn’t expect that, just two years later, her apartment would be ravaged by flames once more. “I’m back in the same situation,” Senegal said. “I’m still in shock. I’m still processing.”
Thankfully, Senegal escaped to safety with her 12-year-old daughter and, through it all, maintains a positive outlook.
I’m trusting in God that we will come through this. What is intended to make me weak will make me strong. I have to fight. I have my daughter that I have to live for.
Senegal expressed gratitude for Tzu Chi’s cash card assistance and the support she received through Just Do It Now. “I thank you guys for blessing us,” she said. Deeply moved by Tzu Chi’s maxim “Do One Good Deed a Day,” as reflected in the bamboo bank tradition of setting aside a little money each day to help those in need, she asked to take three home so her family could practice compassionate deeds together.
Southern Region Deputy Executive Director Julienne Chi felt deeply for Norrisha Senegal, knowing she had lost her home to a fire a second time, while also admiring Senegal’s resilience. “She was very positive and said she could stand up again,” Chi said. “So I told her, ‘This little bamboo bank is for you to pour your love and hope into, bit by bit.’ She immediately agreed and said she wanted every child and every family member to join in.”
Community Collaboration Fuels Compassion
Experienced volunteer Shiou-Bih Yang, a Tzu Chi USA Southern Region charity team coordinator, understood the urgent needs of River Bend Apartments residents affected by the fire and helped guide the team’s preparations so relief could be delivered as quickly as possible. On November 8, the third day after the disaster upended families’ lives, the volunteers were ready to distribute cash cards, giving survivors flexible support.
“When they receive the cash cards, the most common thing they tell us is, ‘Great! Now I have this money to buy what my family truly needs at the store.’ Especially when someone has nothing, the most urgent needs are often daily meals, temporary shelter, and basic clothing,” Yang shared. “With this money, they can at least address these most essential living necessities first.”
The distribution was completed swiftly. Penny Liu, Deputy Executive Director of the Southern Region, expressed deep gratitude for Barbara “Barbie” Fortenberry’s coordination. “She is incredibly enthusiastic and dedicated. Often, we only need to explain something once, and she handles it perfectly. Yes! We are truly grateful she is here, helping us serve so many disaster survivors while maintaining such a strong relationship with us.”
Since Hurricane Harvey, Tzu Chi USA Southern Region volunteers have maintained a continuous presence in Wharton, Texas. In recent years, they’ve expanded their efforts to include school supplies, uniforms, and winter clothing distributions in local schools. Volunteers understand that meaningful assistance goes beyond providing supplies. It also means offering companionship and emotional support, allowing love and care to become a steady source of strength.
