A Message From Kendall

Dear Friends,

Kendall here. I just returned from our family’s annual summer sabbatical in Ireland, where we visited Irish cheesemakers and spent time unplugged with our kids. We landed back in Austin on Friday, July 4, only to see the news and feel the world shift.

There are no words. Just heartbreak.

Like many of you, I couldn’t sleep that night. I was paralyzed in panic and fear and angst. Sure, it hits hard because I went to one of those summer camps, my kids attend a hill country summer camp, I’ve camped along the Guadalupe. Heck, I’m even named after Kendall County, home to a portion of it. But I don’t think you need any of those “connections” to feel this. We’re all feeling it.

I sat there. My mind playing on repeat… just imagining… And I realized I couldn’t stay in the spot. It wasn’t healthy for me - doom scrolling. And it certainly wasn’t helping any of those directly impacted. My daughter has been trying to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders lately, and to pull her out of it, I’ve told her that (1) yes, feel your feelings. But (2) use them to fuel you. To do something. Our feelings alone can’t solve problems. As I sat there silently bawling in bed, having a panic attack, and stuck, I thought of those words to her. “Feeling” it is necessary but just sitting in those feelings and pity doesn’t help. So, do something. 

So I got up, researched any current actions, and threw together a plan just to move. I reached out to neighbors and our school community and friends. It was messy and imperfect. Yet they showed up financially - donating around $6500 - for me to purchase supplies and deliver to the Junior League’s initial efforts. And friends Carla Crownover, Meredith Alderson, and Martha Pincoffs rallied their people and funds and showed up physically to shop. We looked into each other’s eyes, felt the depth of pain as mothers, hugged, and started moving. And folks showed up to help us sort. Together were able to purchase many needed emergency supplies, and assembled over 100 hygiene kits and 100 snack kits, which were all delivered to Kerr County on Sunday. 

This isn’t the point of this note. I’m rambling, because everything is a mess, including my brain.

To those directly impacted, the families of the missing and the found, those traumatized, those still searching, and those doing the searching, our hearts are with you. So are our prayers, our resources, and our resolve.

My question is, how do we function right now? How do we get up and go to work? As I pondered this for my first day back to work today, my thoughts cleared just a bit. 

Do what we always do. 

At Antonelli’s Cheese, our mission is to Do Good, Eat Good, and support our community. Right now, that means showing up however we can. Some of our team members are taking different approaches: volunteering, fundraising, finding ways to help. As a business, we’re asking ourselves how we continue to live into our mission with purpose and care. And we’ll lean into hospitality and what it truly means to be hospitable. 

We’ll keep our doors open, our cheese classes going, and our shop hours steady. Not because “it’s business as usual,” but because it’s how we see people. We know that sometimes, a smile, a moment of connection, or a little bite of joy can help someone carry on. Also, when it feels like the world is falling apart, sometimes you just need to put one foot in front of the other.

So come in if you need a reprieve. Bring your grief, your confusion, your community. We’ll be here, doing what we know how to do: sharing cheese, sharing stories, and standing together.

Below, we’ve listed a few organizations offering meaningful support to those affected. If you’re wondering what you can do, start there. With so many ways to help, it can be hard to know where to begin. But, if you can, do something. If you already have and you can do more, keep at it. Our community will need us to get through this for many years to come. 

Here are three organizations we’ve supported and trust to put your support to work, if you’re looking for a starting point.

TEXSAR: A statewide, all-volunteer search and rescue team now deployed in Kerr County

Kerr County Flood Relief Fund:  Managed by the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, this fund channels donations directly to vetted local rescue, relief, and recovery efforts in Kerr, Hunt, Ingram, Center Point, and Comfort

Mercy Chefs Texas Flood Response:  A disaster relief nonprofit serving hot, chef‑prepared meals to flood survivors, first responders, and volunteers in Kerr County 

With love, 

Kendall Antonelli