LONGVIEW, Texas — It's been one year since the mass shooting that claimed 21 lives at Rob Elementary School in Uvalde.
In the wake of the tragic loss and devastation, some organizations in East Texas took action and went to Uvalde to offer their support.
Patrick Johnson, the founder of J-Star Ministries, says he felt called to make the seven-hour drive to Uvalde as soon as he saw the tragedy unfold on TV.
"When I heard about it, I was sitting in Tyler at one of the local restaurants, and it came across television," said Johnson. "Maybe the next day, I was on my way to Uvalde."
Johnson was able to use his ministry to provide not prayer, but a sense of joy to children.
"Just lots of toys and stuffed animals and bicycles, I tried to think outside the box," said Johnson. "To see the smiles on the kid's faces and to have some conversations with them and praying with some of the parents to ease the pain."
Another person who felt compelled to help was the executive director of the Martin House Children's Advocacy Center, Roxanne Stevenson, and her dog Rainy.
"I was definitely grateful to be able to offer the support, and of course, facility dogs and Rainy especially can provide that comfort, sometimes better than any other human could," said Stevenson. "Just being able to be a very small part of providing that hope to children and families, letting them know that people from all over the world cared about them and that they weren't facing this alone."
Johnson and Stevenson wanted to remind the families and those affected by the Uvalde tragedy they're still not alone.
"We love them and continue to pray for them," Johnson said. "I don't mind making a trip back to Uvlade to help out or do whatever I can."
"They are strong and they've come a long way in the past year," said Stevenson. "We know that it's not something they'll ever get over and they're not going through it alone."