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Local leaders announce activation of Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund
Three $1 million donations were made by the Sarofim Foundation, H-E-B and the CenterPoint Energy Foundation.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Local leaders joined forces Monday to announce the activation of the Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo stood together Monday as the announcement was made during a news conference at the United Way of Greater Houston.
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The fund will provide low-to-moderate-income families with emergency financial help, home repairs and other resources. It’s available for residents in the City of Houston, Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County and Waller County.
“When disaster strikes, we’re reminded that no one organization can do it all. It requires a collaborative and coordinated response from nonprofit, for-profit, public sector and philanthropic communities to ensure that the most vulnerable in our region get the help they need to start the recovery process,” Bob Harvey, with the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, said.
According to Hidalgo, more than 6,800 people in Harris County reported damage to their homes, many of which reported major damage. She said more than 140 homes were “totally” destroyed in the storm.
“So the damage continues. We’ve seen the images. We’ve visited with these folks that have a tree going through their home, that have water falling in adding insult to injury, that have debris, whose food has gone bad, who can’t afford to hire the support to be able to improve that,” Hidalgo said.
The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance was created just over a year ago with the intention of working alongside local leaders to maximize the impact of generous donations to recovery funds.
Donations
There have been three generous donations made to the fund already that were highlighted during Monday’s news conference:
How to help
Anyone who needs help or can volunteer to provide help is asked to call 211 or visit volunteerhouston.org.
Watch the full news conference below: