A Shining Light in a Crisis- Empowerment in Action!

The recent Texas ice storm was devastating in many ways,

yet the experience brought out the absolute best in many people.

One of those people is Alba Ortiz.

Alba entered the GUM orbit four years ago when she moved to the

island. The mother of three young children, Alba wanted a better

life for her family so she enrolled in our intensive Getting Ahead

program. Success in Getting Ahead along with the mentoring she

received from GUM staff gave Alba the confidence to achieve some

lofty goals. She's now working with GUM as a trained Getting Ahead facilitator and studying sociology as a student at Galveston College.

Alba is personable, talented and resourceful…

exactly the kind of person who shines in a crisis.

“The sound of ice hitting the air conditioner woke me about 2:00

on Monday morning,” Alba remembers. “I got up and took pictures

of the snow; it was really beautiful. I heard thunder and saw

lightening, which is unusual during a snowstorm. I realized

something big was happening. Then the lights went out.”

“By Tuesday, people were getting scared and

beginning to panic. That’s when I realized people were

in trouble and needed help.”

Alba monitored Facebook posts throughout the day on Monday

and saw that most of Galveston was without power, yet she figured

the lights would come on soon. Her home has a gas heater and

stove so her family stayed warm even without electricity. “By Tuesday

people were getting scared and beginning to panic," she shares.

"That’s when I realized people were in trouble and needed help.”

Alba reached out to a Getting Ahead classmate whose nebulizer, the machine that helps her breathe, wouldn’t operate without electricity.

“I brought her home, warmed her up and gave her a hot meal.

Then I went on the Group Me app to check on others.”

Alba delivered water alongside the GUM team and used her network to connect people to vital resources and relief. She invited several older neighbors to her home for hot meals, warm showers and a safe place to sleep. “My house was like a B&B!” she jokes. “The night the lights went

out I prayed that God would bless my home and He did.

I don’t consider myself lucky. I consider myself blessed. When I concentrate on others,

I’m not focused on myself.”

Even as a kid, Alba was concerned about other people. “I grew up

around people less fortunate than me,” she says. “We didn’t have

much growing up, and I don’t have much now, but I always have

the basics. It makes me feel good to help other people.

When I concentrate on others, I’m not focused on myself.”

It’s a week after the storm and the sun warms the island.

Galvestonians have power, water and heat. We are moving on

with our lives. Yet, Alba wants us to remember. “I hope all people

keep in mind the camaraderie they were feeling during the crisis,”

she shares. “We were all humbled by not having water, heat and a

hot meal. We only experienced this lack for three days. There

are people who live like this every single day of their lives.

We can make a difference to those people.”

GUM empowers people to rise above life's circumstances. Please support GUM today!