Texas Nonprofits Awarded Nearly $1 Million to Expand Health Services for Hurricane Harvey Survivors

Stamford, Conn. — April 24, 2018 — Americares has awarded nearly $1 million in funding to eight nonprofit organizations in Texas providing health services to Hurricane Harvey survivors. Grants ranging from $65,000 to $200,000 were awarded to hire additional staff, support mental health services and provide medical care for Texans affected by the storm.

The health-focused relief and development organization sought funding proposals that would restore health services and improve access to care for residents in storm-damaged communities. Priority was given to organizations with strong ties to their local communities, benefitting low-income patients, the uninsured, the disabled, the elderly and children.

Staff and volunteers from Covenant House Texas provide outreach services to the homeless in Houston with support from Americares Hurricane Harvey Relief Program. Photo by Annie Mulligan/Americares.

“We are committed to ensuring our Texas partners can continue providing care for those who need it most,” said Americares Vice President of Emergency Programs Kate Dischino. “Our Hurricane Harvey Relief Program focuses on restoring access to care and these grants will allow our partners to support the most vulnerable storm survivors throughout the recovery.”

The awards include:

• $200,000 to South Texas Family Planning and Health Corporation to rent a temporary facility for its Rockport clinic, allowing the facility to re-establish clinic services and continue providing reproductive health care and family planning services while storm damage is repaired;
• $174,986 to Ubi Caritas in Beaumont to hire a licensed mental health professional to provide counseling services for hurricane survivors, as well as two community health workers who will provide case management services;
• $129,000 to Amistad Community Health Center in Corpus Christi to add Saturday hours for one year, expanding access to care for more than 250 new patients;
• $125,000 to Christ Clinic in Katy to hire additional staff to meet the increased demand for primary care and mental health services;
• $105,000 to Covenant House Texas in Houston for street outreach, psychiatric and clinical services, and crisis sheltering for young adults who have become homeless due to Hurricane Harvey;
• $75,000 to Texana Center to repair flood damage and replace damaged equipment and supplies in its behavioral health care clinic in Wharton, which also houses the center-wide pharmacy that supplies medications for all six of Texana’s behavioral health care clinics;
• $75,000 to CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Foundation in Beaumont to offset increased staffing costs related to mobilizing hospital staff during the height of the emergency;
• And $65,000 to the Homeland Preparedness Project in Brazoria County to hire two staff members to oversee volunteers testing 1,800 private wells for E. coli and coliform contamination as well as educate well owners on decontamination best practices.

Americares Hurricane Harvey Relief Program is meeting survivors’ health needs in storm-damaged communities from Corpus Christi to Port Arthur. An Americares emergency response team arrived in Texas in late August as the storm was approaching and has since established a base of operations in Houston to oversee its relief and recovery programs. To date, Americares has provided $2.3 million in programmatic support to 20 nonprofit organizations helping Texans recover from the storm. In total, Americares has provided Hurricane Harvey survivors with more than $12 million in aid including medicine and supplies, health programs, mental health and psychosocial programs.

Americares helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, increase access to medicine and medical supplies, improve and expand clinical services, prevent disease and promote good health.

For more information about Americares Hurricane Harvey Relief Program go to sandbox.americares.org/hurricanes2017