Americares to Ring NYSE Closing Bell to Raise Awareness for Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts

Stamford, Conn. – August 30, 2017 – Americares will ring the New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 31, to bring attention to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and the need to support families affected by the storm. Michael J. Nyenhuis, president and CEO of the health-focused relief and development organization, will ring The Closing Bell ^®.

“Americares is honored to ring The Closing Bell to raise awareness of the need to support Hurricane Harvey survivors,” said Nyenhuis. “Many of the Texans forced to flee their homes are at risk for serious health issues. We are responding to urgent requests for medicine, supplies and medical equipment for evacuees, including those with high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic health conditions. Americares is meeting survivors’ immediate needs and will be there to help in the months ahead.”

Americares is delivering medicine and relief supplies to emergency shelters and supporting health facilities serving low-income and uninsured patients in affected areas. An Americares emergency response team arrived in Texas on Friday just before the hurricane made landfall and immediately began working with federal and state agencies, local organizations and partner health clinics to meet urgent health needs.

To date, Americares has sent several shipments of chronic disease medicines for people with diabetes, asthma and hypertension. Shipments also include wheelchairs, walkers, first aid supplies, several truckloads of bottled water and tetanus vaccines to protect first responders and residents cleaning up the damage. Many of the supplies are for evacuees sheltering at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where more than 9,000 survivors are seeking safety from Hurricane Harvey’s flood waters. Americares, which has relief workers on the ground in Houston and San Antonio, anticipates more shipments to emergency shelters and health facilities in the coming days.

Americares has professional relief workers ready to respond to disasters at a moment’s notice and stocks emergency medicine and supplies in its warehouses in the U.S., Europe and India that can be delivered quickly in times of crisis. The organization responds to an average of 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings disaster preparedness programs to vulnerable communities. Americares has a long history of responding to severe storms in the United States, including Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.