Kerrville Honors Sewa International, Partner Organizations for Flood Relief and Recovery Efforts

KERRVILLE, Texas, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Kerrville, Texas, along with the Kerr Economic Development Corporation and the Kerr Together Long-Term Recovery Group, honored Sewa International and other Indian American organizations on December 9 for their outstanding service and leadership during the July 4 flash floods that affected the city this year.

Reflecting on the experience, Mayor Joe Herrington remarked, "This wasn't just emergency response—it was a ministry. Helping others is how we serve God, and Sewa International embodied that spirit every single day. Their volunteers brought hope, structure, and humanity when our community needed it most."

In addition, the Indo-American Charity Foundation (IACF), Sewa's partner organization, made a significant contribution of $50,000 toward flood recovery efforts. Representatives from the Indo-American Charity Foundation Houston (IACF) shared their guiding principle: "We live here, we give here."

"It was impossible to miss the sea of yellow T-shirts," a city representative recalled, Sewa International volunteers who managed traffic, coordinated logistics, and organized hundreds of community volunteers at the Tivy Antler Stadium emergency site. "At a moment when we were overwhelmed and unsure how to manage the sheer scale of operations, Sewa stepped in and brought order, compassion, and unwavering commitment. That made all the difference," the representative said.

Key city officials, including Economic Development Manager Kelly Hagemeyer, Kerr EDC Deputy Director Theresa Metcalf, Todd Bock, Executive Director, Kerr Economic Development Corporation, and City Manager Dalton Rice, expressed gratitude for the early and sustained support provided by Sewa International, which played a central role in uniting Indian American organizations across Texas to support Kerrville's recovery.

Drawing from years of experience handling hurricanes in Houston, Sewa volunteers immediately organized and prepared to help emergency teams deal with the Kerrville situation and joined the relief efforts.

Under the guidance of Mr. Prashant Sona of the Houston Indian Consulate, and the leadership of Ramesh Cherivirala and Pankaj Rana of IACF, multiple organizations rallied together, including Arya Samaj, Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston, Indian Doctors' Association, Indo American Conservatives of Texas, and Indian Doctors' Charitable Clinic.

Emphasizing the collaborative effort, IACF President Pankaj Rana said, "The strength of our response came from unity. Partnering with Sewa International allowed us to break silos, combine resources, and make a meaningful impact quickly."

City leaders also expressed deep appreciation for Sewa volunteers, many of whom traveled from Houston and San Antonio and arrived within hours of the disaster to support the affected community.

Several individuals—Nikhil Jain, Vinayak Astekar, Sunil Kolluru, Trinabh Shukla, Jitendra Chaudhary, Swapnil Padate, and others—were also recognized for their direct contributions, both financially and on the ground.

Overall, city leaders credited Sewa International USA for being among the first organizations to arrive and among the last to leave.

About Sewa International
Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c) (3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

Media Contact:
Vidyasagar Tontalapur
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SOURCE Sewa International