The Imelda Assistance Fund announced today its first round of grants totaling $310,000 to six experienced, local non-profit organizations to provide services and support to Tropical Storm Imelda flood victims.
The Imelda Assistance Fund was established by Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, in cooperation with the Greater Houston Community Foundation, for survivors following Tropical Storm Imelda. The fund has received $450,000 in donations to date; the accelerated round of grants amounts to almost 70 percent of the total donations to the fund.
“On behalf of the entire city, I thank those who have already donated almost half a million dollars to this urgently needed disaster relief fund,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “The spirit of helping each other is what makes Houston strong, and I hope it will inspire many of our generous neighbors to support the effective and compassionate storm relief effort that is underway.”
“I’m grateful for the generosity Harris County has shown time and time again. As we approach the holidays, we have neighbors adjusting to a new normal and we must not forget them. Donations are still being accepted and every dollar matters,” Judge Hidalgo said. “We won’t stop working to help our communities recover as quickly and effectively as possible.”
This round of grants is focused on home stabilization, emergency financial assistance, and housing counseling for Houston and Harris County’s most vulnerable populations. Grantees were invited to apply based on their proven track record during Hurricane Harvey relief, presence in the hardest hit areas by Tropical Storm Imelda, and recommendations from trusted disaster relief partners in the community.
The Imelda Assistance Fund Grants Committee reviewed all grant applications and made recommendations to the Advisory Board, which approved the grants listed below. The grant contract with each organization specifies that the funds must go towards programs that will benefit storm victims within the next 180 days.
TO DONATE or learn more about the fund, please visit https://ghcf.org/imelda
TO APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE: To see if you may be eligible to receive services and fill out an intake form in Spanish or English, please visit ImeldaSurvey.com or call 211.
Grant recipients (in italics):
Home stabilization (muck and gut, mold remediation)
HOPE Disaster Recovery
Emergency financial assistance
Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation
Avenue Community Development Corporation
Humble Area Assistance Ministries
Tejano Center for Community Concerns
Intake and referral coordination
Harvey Home Connect