Culture

West, Texas Residents Not Looking for Government Help After Plant Explosion

Private aid pouring in

|

The Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Knights of Columbus and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are all in West, Texas, to help victims of this month's fertilizer explosion. They've collected tens of thousands of dollars, piles of clothes, toys and food.

It's been almost chaotic, with volunteers piling in and shelters popping up everywhere. But instead of clamoring for the aid, many of the 3,000 or so residents of this small, central Texas town are instead fighting to help one another. That's just as well in Texas, where the official government line is self-sufficiency.