UVALDE, Texas — Local businesses in the Uvalde community are working to keep spirits up as the nation continues to grieve over the elementary school shooting.
As a server at Ofelia’s Mexican Restaurant in Uvalde, Cathy Gonzalez is always willing to give back.
Thursday morning, Gonzalez made a special delivery in support of her Uvalde community. She loaded more than a dozen enchilada meals, complete with rice and beans.
“A lady from Del Rio called and placed the order. She wanted to get 15 plates sent out to the Hillcrest Funeral Home to treat them to lunch,” Gonzalez said.
The Uvalde funeral home has committed to helping the families of those killed in Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School shooting that took the lives of 19 children and two adults by providing funeral arrangements for free.
“We are a community, that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to support our family, which is our community,” said Gonzalez.
Back at the restaurant, Gonzalez and her fellow servers decorated with handmade posters remembering those who lost their lives.
“These are the kids’ hands and each hand has the child’s name that we lost,” explained Gonzalez.
For Gonzalez, they’re not just names, as many of the victims and their families were regulars at the restaurant.
“This girl Jackie Cazares, she was actually here. I believe Saturday or Sunday they were celebrating someone’s birthday, and they had cake and they ate. They were laughing. She had a big old smile on her face,” recounted Gonzalez.
Right down the street from the restaurant is a pop-up car wash. Its mission is to also support the Uvalde community.
“Our goal is to get a thousand,” exclaimed the event’s organizer, Luis Omar Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said all of the money raised will be donated to the victims’ families.
“With this going on I just believe we had to do something you know.” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez and his volunteers had already washed more than 500 cars by Thursday evening at $10 apiece, with plans to set up again over the weekend.
“It’s been nothing but good vibes today,” said Rodriguez. “The last couple of days it’s been negative, but today it’s been a good positive outcome out of us being here. Whatever happened, it’s just sad. We can’t change it. We just want to promote a little bit of hope and a little bit of Uvalde Strong.”
When Gonzalez learned about Rodriguez’s pop-up fundraiser, she wasn’t surprised by the way her community is pulling together to keep Uvalde strong during this time of healing.
“Those kids aren’t my kids, but they were my kids at the same time because that could have been my child. We are a community. That’s what we’re here for. We are big-hearted Texas people,” said Gonzalez.