United Way and Greater Houston Disaster Alliance launch Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund with $3 million in lead gifts

Amanda McMillan, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Houston, announced the launch of the Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund at a Houston press conference, saying the effort will provide emergency financial assistance, home-repair grants and resource navigation for residents hit by the storm.

“The Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund will allow us to lift up the most vulnerable and provide them with emergency financial assistance, home repairs, and critical help in accessing resources,” McMillan said, naming the fund and urging residents in the city of Houston and Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Waller counties to seek help through United Way’s 211 helpline.

The fund is being deployed through the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, a partnership of the United Way and the Greater Houston Community Foundation intended to coordinate philanthropic and nonprofit relief with government response. Bob Harvey, co-chair of the Disaster Recovery Council and vice chair and chair-elect of the Greater Houston Community Foundation, said the alliance will distribute grants to local nonprofit partners to deliver direct assistance where it is most needed.

“We have received three lead commitments to this fund,” Harvey said, announcing $1,000,000 gifts each from the Seraphim Foundation, H-E-B and the CenterPoint Energy Foundation. He also named other corporate contributors, saying fundraising has already exceeded $3 million and that leaders hope to grow that total.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo described the scale of the need facing families and the community response so far. She said distribution efforts in Harris County alone have included roughly 320,000 meals, 730,000 bottles of water and 82,000 bags of ice, and that federal aid through FEMA is already available and people can apply. Hidalgo reported about 6,800 people in Harris County have reported damage to their homes and said the county has identified roughly 120 to 142 homes as totally destroyed.

“Volunteerism makes a huge difference,” Hidalgo said, urging residents who have recovered power or are otherwise able to help to sign up via 211. She described basic volunteer needs — from debris removal to food distribution — and noted that some recovery and policy questions, including the regulation and oversight of utilities, will require further work.

Mayor Whitmire praised the coalition of government, nonprofits and corporate donors and urged residents to respect crews restoring power. “Please respect the CenterPoint linemen,” he said, emphasizing safety and cooperation at staging sites and thanking nonprofit and faith-community partners for their contributions.

How to get help or give help: McMillan and Hidalgo both directed residents to United Way’s 211 helpline as the first option for requesting assistance or signing up to volunteer. Harvey also noted the Disaster Alliance’s donation page on disasteralliance.org/barrel as the coalition’s fundraising portal.

The press conference ended with organisers saying disaster recovery centers will be stood up and with officials repeating that the new fund is intended to complement, not replace, federal and state aid as families begin intermediate and longer-term recovery.