Harvey Relief: First Recipients Of Relief Fund Grants Announced

HOUSTON, TX — The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Ed Emmett unveiled the first recipients on Tuesday morning. The accelerated round of grants amounts to about 10 percent of the total donations of the $79 million was announced to 28 experienced, non-profit benefactors that have helped out along the way in relief and recovery efforts from the storm that dumped more than 50 inches of rain in Houston and left many residents without homes.

There were more than 100,000 donors who contributed the $79 million, and the average donation was just under $80. The fund's board of trustees wanted to get funds out as quickly as possible, and the elected leaders emphasized Tuesday that the funds will not go towards government entities, but rather to individuals, businesses and non-profits close to those who lost so much.

The initial round of funds released totaling $7,551,825.00 included:

• Jewish Family Service - Houston: $343,750
• Katy Christian Ministries - $110,000
• Main Street Ministries Houston - $250,000
• Memorial Assistance Ministries - $350,000
• Montrose Counseling Center, Inc. - $130,000
• New Hope Housing - $25,000
• North Channel Assistance Ministries - $400,000
• Northwest Assistance Ministries - $250,000
• Salvation Army - $100,000
• SEARCH Homeless Services - $55,575
• Tahirih Justice Center - $40,000
• Volunteers of America, Inc. - $100,000
• West Houston Assistance Ministries, Inc. - $66,000
• Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation - $140,000
• Aldine Education Foundation - $200,000
• Alliance for Multicultural Community Services - $147,500
• Avenue Community Development Corporation - $300,000
• BakerRipley - $1,000,000
• Boat People SOS - Houston, Inc. - $94,000
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston - Houston - $360,000
• Chinese Community Center, Inc. - $100,000
• Coalition for the Homeless/ New Hope Housing - $1,750,000
• Communities in Schools of Houston - $25,000
• Family Service Center of Houston and Harris County - $40,000
• Houston Habitat for Humanity, Inc. - $400,000
• Houston Food Bank - $350,000
• Humble Area Assistance Ministries - $275,000
• Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston - $150,000

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"The goal of the committee was to quickly get these funds into the community through organizations uniquely equipped to help our neighbors suffering from the storm,” said fund advisory board chairman Tony Chase. “We placed a particular focus on the critical need for temporary housing throughout the region and I am pleased that we were able to help people in every zip code across the county.”

The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is dedicated to filling the aid gaps unaddressed by government efforts. The grant contract with each organization specifies that the funds must go towards programs that will benefit storm victims within the next 90 days.

"Our goal was to get a roof over the heads of those suffering to ensure that they can get back to some semblance of normalcy," said Bill Jackson, co-chair of the committee. "Having a mailing address is actually more critical than most would imagine, and I am grateful to the many donors to the fund who made this possible."

The board will "make sure these funds are distributed to reputable organizations and get out to the people who are most in need," Judge Emmett said.

"As Houston gets back to business after the flood, it’s time for the business of putting these donations to work for the people who need relief," Mayor Turner added.

For subsequent rounds of funding, the board co-chairs have appointed a grants committee composed of experts in grant-making and disaster recovery along with philanthropic leaders from across the community.

The grants committee will use its expertise to review the applications and offer funding recommendations to the advisory board for approval.

Flood victims may call 211 to ask for services provided by the agencies that received funds today.Donations to the fund may be made at houstonrecovers.org

The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity funded by the generous contributions of individuals and institutions. GHCF is assisting the fund by managing the donations process, helping establish and administer the RFP process and vetting of grant applicants.

Graphic by Scott McDonald/Patch.com