Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund

At GlobalGiving, we are working around the clock during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis to best serve our nonprofit community across 170 countries. We have launched a Coronavirus Relief Fund, piloted a Hardship Microgrant Initiative, and doubled down on trusting our partners to know what is best for their communities during this emergency.

The COVID-19 crisis is not only upending our own lives and the lives of our loved ones, but it is also disproportionately hurting the most vulnerable among us and in communities around the world. This reality is especially true for communities that have already been severely affected by recent disasters, like Hurricane Harvey, and now find themselves on an even more complex and daunting journey to recovery. Nearly three years since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, the communities in and around the Houston area continue to grapple with the lasting impacts of the storm and the slow support from local, state, and federal sources. 

GlobalGiving remains committed to serving our nonprofit partners on the frontline of continued Hurricane Harvey recovery work. At the beginning of May, GlobalGiving made a round of rapid response donations from the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to provide immediate flexibility to our nonprofit partners in Texas as they now also respond to the impacts of COVID-19 in Hurricane Harvey-impacted communities. 

I want to share how three of our partners are doubling down on their critical work during the pandemic, thanks to your donation.

• Urban Harvest launched its “Grow Resilience” program to ensure all Houstonians, especially those severely impacted by Hurricane Harvey, stay healthy, active, and fed during the COVID-19 crisis. The organization is committed to three core activities:
  
• Sustaining the largest farmers market in the region, which supports 110 hard-hit local farms and small businesses, while offering a safe way for community members to access food.
• Reaching 19,500 Houstonians with organic garden education via online webinars, classes, and resources.
• Matching SNAP benefits dollar-for-dollar on fresh produce at farmers' markets across the city.
  
  
• Coalition for the Homeless is the lead agency of the Houston region’s homelessness response system. Reports suggest that those experiencing homelessness face a higher risk of becoming infected by, and dying from, the virus. The organization is working quickly to promote and provide equitable and rapid access to information, supplies, and services for individuals experiencing homelessness. It is also playing a key role in advocating for access to testing, care, and treatment related to COVID-19—including safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness to self-isolate.
  
  
• Target Hunger is on the frontlines of meeting the food security needs of so many in the Houston area who are not sure where their next meal will be found. The organization has seen a growing number of people seeking help during this tumultuous time, reporting that 45% of its current clients are new individuals seeking food assistance. Target Hunger is responding by delivering food to senior households, increasing the distributions of its food pantries, and activating its mobile food distribution network. 

From our nonprofit partners and everyone at GlobalGiving, thank you for your incredible generosity. Joining together with 30,000 other people, your choice to support community-led recovery efforts in Texas makes all the difference during this difficult time.

Stay safe and well.

With gratitude,

Chase + the GlobalGiving team