Cecilia Chavez Mobilizes 224,000 Facebook Followers for Flood Aid

Cecilia Chavez recently coordinated the delivery of supplies to residents on San Antonio’s Southwest Side following recent flooding. The administrator of the Facebook group '210 La Chismosa,' which has more than 224,000 members, says the effort represents a practical application of the community she built during the pandemic.

Chavez spoke about her recent relief work and the group's origins on 'Pickup Lines,' a digital talk show hosted by KSAT’s Ernie Zuniga. She explained that the platform started as a way to share family conversations during the isolation of 2020.

Chavez posted a video of a Zoom call where she, her mother, and her aunt exchanged local news. She noted that social media usage surged during the health crisis. 'COVID hit and social media was really big. So I uploaded a Zoom meeting between me, my mom and my aunt and we were all gossiping and it just took off,' she said.

The group now requires constant management. Chavez described the workload as a 24-hour operation. 'You wake up to it, you go to sleep to it,' she said.

Her online presence follows a series of personal challenges. Chavez grew up on the South and West sides of San Antonio. She contracted measles as a child, resulting in hearing loss in one ear. Years later, a dispute over her son’s high school football eligibility led her family to move to a Native American reservation in Nevada. One of her sons eventually earned a football scholarship.

Chavez’s motivation for the group shifted after her son, Jose, died in a motorcycle crash in 2024. She believes the platform helped her process that loss. 'It filled a void. It did. It definitely did,' she said. 'I want to help. I want to be there for people.'

Chavez said she plans to open a community resource center in the future. She also stated that she values her independence and has turned down sponsorship offers to keep the group neutral. Zuniga launched 'Pickup Lines' to feature guests sharing their personal journeys, including executives and everyday citizens.