United Way of the Coastal Bend gives more than $982,000 to aid Hurricane Harvey victims
When Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Aug. 25, 2017, it left tremendous devastation along the Texas Gulf Coast. Though recovery operations were quickly mounted, the magnitude of need proved overwhelming as communities throughout the Coastal Bend struggled to recover.
After the hurricane hit, United Way of the Coastal Bend established a Disaster Relief Fund to help those who needed immediate assistance as well as supporting long-term recovery efforts. The fund helped more than 4,100 people and disbursed over $982,000 toward home repairs, temporary housing, small business recovery, mental health resources, food, and more.
"As the second anniversary of Hurricane Harvey approaches, we are wrapping up our final distributions from our Disaster Relief Fund," said Libby Averyt, President & CEO of United Way of the Coastal Bend. "We moved quickly to get crucial funding into the hands of our Coastal Bend neighbors who needed it the most, and are pleased to report the donations made a difference throughout the Coastal Bend."
Collaborating with local agencies and communities, United Way of the Coastal Bend worked to identify gaps in funding for recovery efforts and used this information to determine the projects and communities with the greatest need. With 100 percent of funds collected going toward relief efforts, the fund supported many partner programs and communities working to rebuild. This included:
- $450,000 – Refugio County Volunteer Reception Center to aid in the repair of 90 homes
- $142,000 – All Hands and Hearts to assist with housing recovery projects
- $100,000 – Golden Crescent Habitat for Humanity
- $60,760 – Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce/Aransas Pass for Youth to help those affected with utilities, rent, transportation, and groceries
- $41,750 – Habitat for Humanity Corpus Christi for flooring and roofing repairs/replacements
- $40,000 – Catholic Charities for utility assistance, temporary housing assistance and rental/mortgage assistance
- $35,551 – New Day Port A Fund for building materials to repair 27 homes
- $28,000 – Salvation Army to provide appliances for repaired homes and food assistance
- $19,410 – Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend to provide disaster relief assistance for job seekers throughout United Way of the Coastal Bend's service area
- $15,500 – Port Aransas Volunteer Fire Department to replace brush truck radio, hose, tires and thermal imaging camera
- $12,600 – Revolutionary Wellness to provide counseling and emotional support
- $10,000 – AEP Employee Assistance Fund
- $10,000 – Refugio Volunteer Fire Department to assist with roof repairs/replacement
- $5,050 – Relief activities facilitated by United Way of the Coastal Bend
- $5,000 – Ingleside Chamber of Commerce to provide assistance for small businesses
- $3,375 – Direct assistance provided to individuals for rent and utility expenses
- $3,000 – San Patricio Economic Development Corporation to purchase holiday gifts for those impacted by the storm
“We extend our deepest gratitude to those companies and donors who supported our disaster relief efforts, with many of those donations coming from outside the Coastal Bend,” Averyt said. “The generosity shown during this difficult time proved once again that when disaster strikes, people respond with care and compassion. These recovery efforts truly showed that when we LIVE UNITED, WE ALL WIN.”