Easter Seals Greater Houston serving the most vulnerable during Harvey Recovery thanks in large part to The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund

HOUSTON, April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Easter Seals Greater Houston is proud of its long standing history of serving babies, children and adults with disabilities and veterans as well as their families through multiple life-changing services in a 16 county area. As one might imagine, Easter Seals Greater Houston and its staff have seen their share of tragedies and also amazing successes in the agency's 70+ year history. Though there have been severe storms and hurricanes, the rewards of teaching children to walk and talk that were never supposed to, watching a young adult walk across the high school and college graduation stage against all odds, and the countless other success stories of helping clients achieve their fullest potential far outweigh the hard times.

Most recently, along with the greater Houston area, the nonprofit experienced Hurricane Harvey. Having learned many lessons through their extensive work with Katrina, Rita and Ike, multiple floods and other devastation, they were immediately at work during the storm and ready to help those less fortunate and more at risk - from medically fragile babies with disabilities in shelters to adults with disabilities trapped in their homes.

Easter Seals immediately put their experience to the test to serve those in need and at greater risk, during and after Harvey with social workers in shelters, providing daily necessities, durable medical equipment, and case management to help navigate the system. 

Easter Seals Greater Houston would like to thank the Hurricane Relief Fund as established by Mayor Sylvester Turner and Judge Ed Emmett, with the Greater Houston Community Foundation overseeing and administering. The funding has allowed Easter Seals Greater Houston to continue to support 12 counselors and case managers along with other staff members dedicated to helping the greater Houston and Harris County area recover. These additional professionals continue to provide case management, financial emergency assistance, mental health counseling, housing assistance and other desperately needed services.

To this day and for the foreseeable future Easter Seals Greater Houston will continue working towards Harvey recovery. The agency has served well over a thousand families with disabilities and veterans and thanks to the amazing support received, families such as Eunice's, an adorable little girl who has been an Easter Seals' client for several years, received life-saving services. Before Harvey, she was regularly receiving speech and physical therapy services. Because she was one of the first clients to come back after the storm, her therapists assumed all was okay. But the truth is ? both parents work, scrimped and saved and had just bought and moved into their first home before Hurricane Harvey. The home was flooded. The hard working father was laid off right after Harvey ? putting the family and home both in jeopardy. Thanks to funding from hundreds of donors, large and small, and thanks to the Mayor and Judge's Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Easter Seals was able to help this little girl's family save their home and get caught up on their bills. The dad is now in an Apprentice Plumbers' Program and is receiving training and support to move the family to long term financial stability. Through it all, the little girl's family made sure she attended therapy ? she never missed once. 

Appreciation also goes to many other local foundations including The Simmons Foundation, The George Foundation and Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation for helping us serve those in Harris and Fort Bend counties.

Today, one in five adults has a disability and one in six babies is born with a delay/disability. The need for services is always great and Easter Seals Greater Houston continues in their mission to ensure that our neighbors will be able to live, learn, work and play in our community. Easter Seals Greater Houston will always work to make #HoustonStrong before, during and after the storm and for many years to come.

About Easter Seals Greater Houston

Easter Seals Greater Houston, Inc. is a non-profit corporation established to provide comprehensive services to individuals of all ages with all types of disabilities and their family members. For more information, visit www.eastersealshouston.org.

SOURCE Easter Seals Greater Houston