What started as a simple act of kindness has turned into a powerful movement of hope and healing.
In the heart of Texas, where devastating floods have claimed at least 120 lives and left countless families shattered, one woman is quietly making a difference — one lost item at a time.
Meet Dondi Persyn, a 54-year-old grandmother from Boerne, just four miles from the Guadalupe River. Though her own home remained untouched by the catastrophic floods, her heart was deeply moved by the suffering around her. So she took action — and the internet took notice.
From Tragedy to Compassion: A Community is Born
Persyn launched a Facebook group called “FOUND on the Guadalupe River,” a digital lost-and-found that quickly went viral. As of July 11, the group has swelled to over 20,000 members, all united by one goal: helping flood victims recover the precious pieces of their lives.
From a turquoise child’s Croc to a decades-old family photo, the group is filled with both heartbreaking and heartwarming posts. People are sharing pictures of items they found along the riverbanks, while others are desperately searching for sentimental or irreplaceable possessions — including a Jeep, a donkey, and even a charm necklace from Camp Mystic, where 27 lives were lost, many of them young girls.
“We Treat Everything Like It’s the Most Important Thing”
Persyn is clear about the mission: “We will handle this page with the reverence it deserves and hopefully unite owners and loved ones with their belongings,” she wrote in the group’s description.
And she’s already keeping that promise.
She recently helped one woman recover a beloved totem pole, and another woman reclaim her jewelry and clothes.
“It was really beautiful and impactful,” Persyn shared, recalling the emotional moment. “I’ll never forget that moment — to see someone who lost everything get even a small piece of their life back.”
A Grassroots Effort with Heart — and Hustle
What began with picking up debris during a search mission turned into a full-blown recovery operation.
“We were waiting for rescuers with chainsaws, and it just felt wrong to do nothing,” she said. “So we started picking up trash.”
By day’s end, Persyn had become the ‘personal effects lady’ — collecting items in clear bags and tagging them with care. She knew that if she could post these finds online, someone out there might recognize and reclaim them.
With the help of a high school friend 100 miles away and a growing team of volunteers, she’s turned a chaotic disaster zone into an organized system of hope. Items are washed, sorted into bins, and cataloged for possible reunion — from clothes and makeup cases to a tiny plastic duck.
“We don’t know if that duck is the last memory someone has of a loved one,” Persyn said. “So we treat everything like it’s extra super special.”
No Experience, Just Heart — And That’s Enough 🌟
Though Persyn isn’t a professional in rescue or recovery — she once ran a vintage shop in San Antonio and now works as a perfumer — her compassion and leadership have brought order and healing to unimaginable chaos.
She’s now working on expanding the group’s moderators to keep up with the overwhelming number of posts and connections being made.
Her guiding rule remains simple:
“Treat everything with love and equal care. Nothing is more important than the next.”
Join the Movement
If you’ve found something or are missing something, join the Facebook group “FOUND on the Guadalupe River.” You might just help a family piece their life back together.
In a World Full of Noise, Her Quiet Kindness is Echoing Loud
Sometimes, the biggest heroes aren’t first responders or public officials — sometimes, they’re grandmothers with smartphones and hearts too big to ignore the pain of others.
And thanks to Dondi Persyn, thousands of Texans now have hope that what was lost can still be found.