GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — In the aftermath of a fire that destroyed part of the western side of Gatesville’s downtown square, communities near and far are stepping up to help those affected move forward.
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The fire spread across a stretch of historic buildings Monday evening, leaving behind damage to businesses and livelihoods. By the next morning, many in the community were already asking how they could help.
“If we all come together, I feel like we can make such a huge impact,” said Natasha Morgan, owner of MMC Trash Services.
Morgan said her first thought was how to support others affected by the fire.
“My first thought was like, what are we going to do as a community? Where can we help? Where can we get in to help?” she said.
For Tyler Herren, ranch manager at 6S River Ranch, the loss hits close to home.
“Last year, we had our shop burn down, with a lot of equipment, all of our tools and stuff, so it really hit home with us to see the fire and see the destruction and the small businesses that lost their way of living,” Herren said.
Local businesses are now finding ways to give back, united by a common goal of helping their neighbors recover.
“Put your best foot forward and help those that are in need, and something like that happens, people lose their livelihoods, and small communities like ours should step up and do what we can to help,” Herren said.
MMC Trash Services is selling “Gatesville Strong” T-shirts and car decals, with proceeds supporting those impacted.
“‘Gatesville Strong,’ and then of course we are Texas, and we are always proud of it, so I put Texas around it,” Morgan said.
6S River Ranch is also planning a fundraising event, with support from across the community.
“We’ve got a lot of people calling and wanting to volunteer. We’ve got some local businesses donating items to be raffled or auctioned off, and it happened fast. After I made that post, I was getting calls,” Herren said.
All proceeds from both efforts will go toward a community-led fund supporting employees affected by the fire.
“I feel like since we are small, it’s tight-knit, everyone is willing to step up and help when needed. I hope we can come together, and the people that lost their jobs, we can help them until they are able to move forward,” Morgan said.
