Republican Party Aims to Help Texans Affected by COVID-19 Crisis
April 29, 2020 - San Antonio
Texans helping other Texans. In 2015, The Republican Party of Texas began their #RPTServes program, which offered food and services to Texans who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. This week, they will focus their attention on helping citizens who have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Photo: Republican Party of Texas.
By Jade Esteban Estrada - Political Columnist, San Antonio Sentinel
On Monday, The Republican Party of Texas relaunched its #RPTServes Volunteer Week, an organized effort to encourage GOP party members to help residents in their area who have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
The six-day event, which ends May 2, is focusing on four key initiatives: Blood donation, food bank volunteerism and contributions, the giving of items to pro-life pregnancy centers, and a campaign to encourage families to send online moral support to first responders and service workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
“During Hurricane Harvey, #RPTServes delivered volunteers, food, and other vital resources to communities in need,” said Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey in a press release. “Now that our state and nation are facing unprecedented challenges, we will be launching RPT Serves Volunteer Week again April 27th through May 2nd to deliver food, resources, and most importantly hope to our fellow Texans.”
With so many unknowns regarding COVID-19, many individuals feel that donating blood is a safe and effective way to ensure that plasma is available if or when hospitals need it. To expand the reach of potential blood donors, the Food and Drug Administration recently announced that they would be easing restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, a demographic that has been prohibited from donating blood since beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Regardless of where one lands on the political spectrum, many would agree that food is a common denominator. The RPT encourages individuals across the state to reach out to their local food bank or church pantry to make a donation of canned goods, cleaning supplies, or offer a few hours of volunteering.
Many members of the Republican Party are pro-life. In line with their party’s platform, the organization has partnered with pregnancy centers across the state that serve young mothers and their infants. These donations include diapers, formula, and other supplies. Find a San Antonio location (there are several) near you here.
Lastly, nothing says thank you like a social media post or video to first responders, medical professionals, truck drivers, grocery store workers, and everyone at the front lines of the current health crisis. In the spirit of community engagement, event organizers are encouraging individuals to use the hashtag #RPTServes, so that posts can be easily found and shared. Further information can be found on their Facebook page.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a political columnist at the San Antonio Sentinel. He can be reached at jade@sasentinel.com.