A Year Later, Red Cross Still in Texas Helping Hurricane Harvey Survivors

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- One year after Hurricane Harvey devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana, the American Red Cross is still helping people affected by the powerful storm which caused billions of dollars in damage and changed lives forever.

Through the extraordinary support of the American public, the Red Cross raised $522.7 million to help Harvey survivors. Now, a year later, the Red Cross has already spent or made commitments to spend 77 percent of these funds on emergency relief and recovery assistance ? or approximately $403.1 million. The remaining funds will be used to support individuals and families needing additional help, as well as to provide longer-term recovery services in affected communities. And, 91 cents of every dollar received for Hurricane Harvey will be spent on our services to people affected by Hurricane Harvey.

"Since my first visit to Texas after Hurricane Harvey, I've been inspired by both the remarkable strength of the storm's survivors determined to put their lives back together and the compassion of the thousands of Red Crossers who answered the call for help," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "A year later, communities are still recovering from Harvey's destruction and the Red Cross remains on the ground, providing families and nonprofit partners with much-needed financial assistance. There is certainly more work ahead, but thanks to the generosity of our donors and the dedication of our volunteers, the Red Cross will continue to be there to lend a helping hand."

Full details are available in the Red Cross' Hurricane Harvey One-Year Update. View personal stories of how the Red Cross helped people after this devastating storm in this moving video.

EMERGENCY RELIEF

As the massive storm slammed into Texas and Louisiana, thousands of Red Cross disaster workers provided a safe place to stay, food to eat and a shoulder to lean on during a very difficult time. More than 9,500 Red Cross disaster workers ? over 90 percent of them volunteers ? came from all over the country to help as Harvey's floodwaters ravaged neighborhood after neighborhood. During the emergency response, the Red Cross:

• Provided more than 414,800 overnight shelter stays with partners in Texas and Louisiana
• Served more than 4.5 million meals and snacks with the help of our partners
• Distributed more than 1.6 million relief items
• Authorized payments of $400 each to more than 575,000 households, totaling more than $230 million in direct financial assistance

RECOVERY EFFORTS ONGOING

Today, the Red Cross is focused on programs to help people and communities recover. As part of these efforts, the Red Cross is providing financial assistance for households in need of recovery support and whose homes experienced major damage or were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. As of August 22, the Red Cross has already approved payments of $2,000 each to more than 20,000 households, and we continue to reach more residents every day. This assistance is helping individuals and families pay for temporary housing, make essential repairs to damaged homes, replace lost appliances and furniture and much more.

In addition, the Red Cross is supporting community-based recovery through strategic grants to nonprofit partners who can help meet unmet needs. The Red Cross has awarded $61.9 million on recovery grants to some 150 community organizations working to help impacted communities put the pieces back together in the staggering wake of Hurricane Harvey. These grants will help to fund housing repair and rebuilding efforts, behavioral health services, legal advocacy, financial counseling and services for children and underserved populations. Some of the grantees include Operation HOPE, LISC (Local Initiatives Support Coalition) and Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota for Camp Noah.

Note: The Red Cross reports on a "spent and committed" figure in order to accurately reflect the full scope of our spending for services that have occurred or are currently being provided. This includes dollars disbursed or in the process of being disbursed on recovery grants.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross