Latest news with #LauraBush
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kinetic Supports Local Youth by Donating Back-to-School Resources to the Fort Bend Rainbow Room
Kinetic sponsored 20 children's back-to-school needs with a donation to the Fort Bend Rainbow Room The Rainbow Room is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth and families in times of need SUGAR LAND, Texas, July 25, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kinetic, a local residential and business fiber internet provider, has donated necessary back-to-school supplies to the Fort Bend Rainbow Room in a powerful show of community support. The Rainbow Room will use the donations to help support the emergency and transitional services and supplies they provide for children, families and adults in partnership with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The Fort Bend Rainbow Room is a nonprofit organization that was established by former First Lady Laura Bush in 1998. It is a resource room stocked with snacks, unopened diapers, unused school supplies, new clothes, toiletries, toys and other items frequently needed to meet the needs of families in crisis and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This donation comes as families prepare for the upcoming school year and children served by the Rainbow Room potentially face uncertainty and hardship. Kinetic's contribution includes shirts, pants, jackets and other essential items, as well as resources, helping these students walk into the classroom confident and ready to learn. "We're proud to support the Fort Bend Rainbow Room in their mission to provide stability and comfort to vulnerable children, youth and adults across Fort Bend," said Danny Ferguson, president of Kinetic Operations in Texas. "At Kinetic, community matters. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to succeed—especially in the classroom." In addition to providing clothing, Kinetic made a donation to the Rainbow Room's Back-to-School Project, ensuring up to 20 children will receive a full school sponsorship. Each sponsorship provides students with four uniform shirts, four pairs of uniform pants, shoes, socks, underwear, a package of school supplies and a backpack, helping them start the school year off on the right foot. "The Fort Bend Rainbow Room serves hundreds of children annually, and back-to-school donations like this make a lasting impact on their emotional and academic well-being," said Colleen Fox, the Rainbow Room's community programs manager. "Partners like Kinetic help us bring hope and tangible support to children who need it most." Throughout the year, the Fort Bend Rainbow Room offers various programs where local organizations and communities can get involved to ensure local children and families have what they need. The Rainbow Room hosts events like golf and bowling tournaments, luncheons and donation drives during back-to-school and Christmas to help raise awareness of the importance of year-round donation opportunities. A full list of programs, wish lists, events and more can be found on its website. Kinetic's donation is part of the company's broader mission to be more than an internet provider—it strives to be a true community partner. About Kinetic: Kinetic, a Windstream company, offers fiber-based broadband to residential and small business customers in 18 states. The company's quality-first approach connects customers to new opportunities and possibilities by delivering a full suite of advanced communications services. Kinetic is one of three brands managed by Windstream. The company also offers managed cloud communications and security services to mid-to-large enterprises and government entities across the U.S. as well as customized wavelength and dark fiber solutions to carriers, content providers and hyperscalers in the U.S. and Canada. Windstream is a privately held company headquartered in Little Rock, Ark. Additional information about Kinetic is available at or About FBRR: Fort Bend Rainbow Room is a resource room stocked with snacks, diapers, school supplies, clothes, toiletries, toys and other items frequently needed to meet the emergency needs of families in crisis. Our philosophy is that abused and neglected children and adults do not deserve used items, so only new items are stocked. Getting new items can have a significant impact on the children in helping them feel cared for and fit in with their peers at school. The Room is available to caseworkers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any of our clients. Prior to the establishment of Fort Bend Rainbow Room, local caseworkers frequently used their own funds to meet these needs, while waiting for permanent funding solutions. Many of these expenditures were not reimbursable; nevertheless, most caseworkers could not refuse to clothe or feed hungry children that had just been rescued from abusive and/or neglectful homes. Rainbow Room is able to meet these immediate needs with support from the community. For more information, please visit our website at Category: Kinetic View source version on Contacts Victoria
Business Wire
7 days ago
- General
- Business Wire
Kinetic Supports Local Youth by Donating Back-to-School Resources to the Fort Bend Rainbow Room
SUGAR LAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kinetic, a local residential and business fiber internet provider, has donated necessary back-to-school supplies to the Fort Bend Rainbow Room in a powerful show of community support. The Rainbow Room will use the donations to help support the emergency and transitional services and supplies they provide for children, families and adults in partnership with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The Fort Bend Rainbow Room is a nonprofit organization that was established by former First Lady Laura Bush in 1998. It is a resource room stocked with snacks, unopened diapers, unused school supplies, new clothes, toiletries, toys and other items frequently needed to meet the needs of families in crisis and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This donation comes as families prepare for the upcoming school year and children served by the Rainbow Room potentially face uncertainty and hardship. Kinetic's contribution includes shirts, pants, jackets and other essential items, as well as resources, helping these students walk into the classroom confident and ready to learn. 'We're proud to support the Fort Bend Rainbow Room in their mission to provide stability and comfort to vulnerable children, youth and adults across Fort Bend,' said Danny Ferguson, president of Kinetic Operations in Texas. 'At Kinetic, community matters. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to succeed—especially in the classroom.' In addition to providing clothing, Kinetic made a donation to the Rainbow Room's Back-to-School Project, ensuring up to 20 children will receive a full school sponsorship. Each sponsorship provides students with four uniform shirts, four pairs of uniform pants, shoes, socks, underwear, a package of school supplies and a backpack, helping them start the school year off on the right foot. 'The Fort Bend Rainbow Room serves hundreds of children annually, and back-to-school donations like this make a lasting impact on their emotional and academic well-being,' said Colleen Fox, the Rainbow Room's community programs manager. 'Partners like Kinetic help us bring hope and tangible support to children who need it most.' Throughout the year, the Fort Bend Rainbow Room offers various programs where local organizations and communities can get involved to ensure local children and families have what they need. The Rainbow Room hosts events like golf and bowling tournaments, luncheons and donation drives during back-to-school and Christmas to help raise awareness of the importance of year-round donation opportunities. A full list of programs, wish lists, events and more can be found on its website. Kinetic's donation is part of the company's broader mission to be more than an internet provider—it strives to be a true community partner. About Kinetic: Kinetic, a Windstream company, offers fiber-based broadband to residential and small business customers in 18 states. The company's quality-first approach connects customers to new opportunities and possibilities by delivering a full suite of advanced communications services. Kinetic is one of three brands managed by Windstream. The company also offers managed cloud communications and security services to mid-to-large enterprises and government entities across the U.S. as well as customized wavelength and dark fiber solutions to carriers, content providers and hyperscalers in the U.S. and Canada. Windstream is a privately held company headquartered in Little Rock, Ark. Additional information about Kinetic is available at or About FBRR: Fort Bend Rainbow Room is a resource room stocked with snacks, diapers, school supplies, clothes, toiletries, toys and other items frequently needed to meet the emergency needs of families in crisis. Our philosophy is that abused and neglected children and adults do not deserve used items, so only new items are stocked. Getting new items can have a significant impact on the children in helping them feel cared for and fit in with their peers at school. The Room is available to caseworkers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any of our clients. Prior to the establishment of Fort Bend Rainbow Room, local caseworkers frequently used their own funds to meet these needs, while waiting for permanent funding solutions. Many of these expenditures were not reimbursable; nevertheless, most caseworkers could not refuse to clothe or feed hungry children that had just been rescued from abusive and/or neglectful homes. Rainbow Room is able to meet these immediate needs with support from the community. For more information, please visit our website at Category: Kinetic
Bloomberg
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Camp Mystic Girls' Deaths Darken a Cherished Texas Rite of Passage
Camp Mystic was the totemic rite of passage for girls from establishment families in the American South: Lyndon Johnson sent his daughters there, Laura Bush worked there as a counselor years before becoming First Lady, and its alumni include the children of at least three Texas governors. It evoked such a potent mix of nostalgia, tradition, religious faith and camaraderie that parents rushed to get their daughter's name on its coveted waiting list as soon as she was born. But after the deadliest floods in Texas history ripped through Mystic and killed 27 campers and counselors this month, its foundations are in shambles and questions are being raised over how it became so vulnerable to disaster.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas flash floods: more rain forecast as death toll passes 100
The death toll from the flash floods that have wreaked devastation in Texas since Friday has passed 100 and is expected to rise further as more victims are found and more rain threatens to deluge the region. Camp Mystic, the girls summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas, has confirmed that 27 children and counsellors died. 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly,' a statement on the camp website read. The search continued for missing people, it said, adding: 'We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected.' Related: 'No warning at all': Texas flood survivors question safety planning and officials' response Camp Mystic is a nondenominational Christian institution that has hosted the children of some of Texas's political elite over its 99-year history. Former first lady Laura Bush was a camp counselor there, and past camp attendees included the daughters of former US president Lyndon B Johnson and the former Texas governor John Connally. 'Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives – including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friends' little girls,' said Tavia Hunt, wife of the Kansas City Chiefs owner, Clark Hunt, in an Instagram post. A Camp Mystic counselor, Chloe Childress, also died in the flooding, a representative of her high school confirmed on Sunday. Childress was remembered as compassionate and known for helping others feel, 'feel safe, valued, and brave', a statement to a local ABC affiliate said. The number of missing people from other nearby camps has not been released, as officials said life-threatening flooding remained a threat as crews continued an urgent search for people still missing. The Guadalupe River rose 26ft (8 meters) in 45 minutes in Friday's pre-dawn hours, after a downpour north of San Antonio. The sheriff of Kerr county, Larry Leitha, has said at least 68 people were found dead in an area of Texas known as the Hill Country. There are several summer camps there. At least 10 other deaths were reported in the counties of Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson, local officials have said. The Texas governor, Greg Abbott, warned that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more perilous flooding, especially in places where the ground is already saturated. Kerr residents were clearing mud from their destroyed properties and saving what belongings they could. Some said the heroism of the neighbors was all that saved them, as authorities faced questions about whether enough warnings about the downpour were issued, how many actually received them and whether enough was done to prepare for the rain. Reagan Brown told the Associated Press that his parents, in their 80s, managed to escape uphill as water inundated their home in the town of Hunt. When Brown's parents learned that their 92-year-old neighbor was trapped in her attic, they went back and rescued her. 'Then they were able to reach their toolshed up higher ground, and neighbors throughout the early morning began to show up at their toolshed, and they all rode it out together,' Brown said. A video posted on X showed girls from Camp Mystic being evacuated and singing the hymns Pass It On and Amazing Grace as they crossed a bridge over the Guadalupe River, which was still flowing fiercely. Local officials have already faced questions about what kind of flood warning systems and evacuation plans were in place in the county. Judge Rob Kelly, the county's top elected official, told reporters that 'nobody saw this coming'. The county had considered a tornado warning-style siren in the past, but Kelly said the public had 'reeled at the cost'. 'There's going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking,' said the Republican US representative Chip Roy, whose district includes Kerr county, according to the Associated Press. 'There's a lot of people saying 'why' and 'how', and I understand that.' The US Department of Homeland Security responded to criticism of warning systems on Sunday on social media by saying mainstream media were 'lying' and that the National Weather Service issued timely warnings. Donald Trump on Sunday signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr county, which is meant to unlock federal resources meant to help local officials. He said he would probably visit on Friday, a week after the deadly flash flood, saying to go earlier might impede search and recovery efforts. Associated Press contributed reporting
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jenna Bush Hager Gets Emotional After Dropping Her Daughters Off at Camp Following Fatal Floods at Texas' Camp Mystic
Jenna Bush Hager fought back tears recently while talking about the fatal Texas floods The Today with Jenna and Friends host reflected on the tragedy, revealing that she recently dropped her daughters off at another Texas summer camp The mom of three shares her children with her husband Henry HagerJenna Bush Hager is sharing the complex emotions she felt after dropping her daughters off at summer camp following the fatal floods at Texas' Camp Mystic. The Today with Jenna and Fridays host, 43, recently got emotional during the Monday, July 7 episode of her daytime talk show while talking about how she dropped her daughters off at another camp in Texas. During the morning show, the mom of three opened up about the reality the emotional reality that every parent is facing right now. "My kids actually got dropped off at camp yesterday at another camp in Texas, and you know putting them on the bus saying goodbye to them and I know so many parents whose kids are at camp or going to camp feel that way, like you know we send our kids into the world with the faith that they can have happy lives, joyful lives and as adults we know pain. We hope that our kids never, ever face it. But you know, Texas is a resilient, incredible state." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Also on Monday, the daughter of former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush, appeared during the early hours of the Today show to discuss her family's ties to Camp Mystic, the Christian summer camp, which suffered the loss of 27 young female campers and still has at least 10 others missing. "My mom was a counselor there, but also so many of my friends were raised at this camp,' Bush Hager told co-host Craig Melvin while becoming audibly emotional. 'Texas camps are institutions, as you just heard, where many family members, generations — this camp was 100 years old — so grandmothers, mothers, kids, have all gone there.' The mother of three added that her mom, Laura, was a 'drama counselor' at Camp Mystic and shared that 'many of my friends had their kids there last week.' The Texas native, whose father was previously a governor of Texas, added that the stories she's heard coming out of Texas have been 'beautiful and heartbreaking.' Bush Hager shares her three children with husband Henry Chase Hager. She's a mother to daughters, Poppy, 9, and Mila, 12, were born in 2013 and 2015, respectively. The couple later welcomed their son, Hal, 5, in 2019. Over the years, the former first daughter has been candid about her motherhood journey, admitting that "logistics can be difficult" as her family has grown. Today, she devotes herself to "making sure that each child has the love that I know I feel for them." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! On Sunday, May 11, Bush Hager host gave a glimpse into her special day, which included a luxurious breakfast in bed. Bush Hager shared a photo of her meal on her Instagram Stories, which featured heart-shaped waffles with chocolate sauce, and a sweet message written in the sauce. "We ❤️ Mom," read the message. The mom of three also included a black-and-white photo of herself and her kids, as they posed together outside. "My wolf pack," she wrote across the photo. Read the original article on People
