With more than six million residents in the greater Houston area impacted by Hurricane Harvey, the need for humanitarian assistance is mounting. The Houston region already has had catastrophic flooding, and emergency crews have rescued thousands, as record-breaking rains inundated the city and surrounding suburbs.
Today, we know that millions of Texas residents will continue to face countless days of floods and great uncertainty as they try to rebuild their lives and homes in the coming months. FEMA estimates that up to 30,000 people in Houston and across the Gulf Coat may need shelter and more than 450,000 people are expected to seek disaster assistance, in what is being called “a landmark event.”
After receiving an overwhelming number of inquiries from citizens and companies who want to help, Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner established the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF). For those seeking to contribute monetarily toward immediate relief efforts for Houston, The San Francisco Foundation recommends supporting the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.
As with most funds created in the wake of a disaster, the GHCF will work with local nonprofit organizations to determine the short- and long-term relief and recovery needs of the region, ensuring all donations are effectively deployed. Donors may recommend a grant from their donor advised fund to the Greater Houston Community Foundation and designate the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.
We are pleased to stand in solidarity with the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Our thoughts are with the people, families, and communities of Houston and the Gulf Coast that have been affected.
