Haynes and Boone, LLP Partner Lynne Liberato, chair of United Way of Greater Houston’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Task Force, co-wrote a Houston Chronicle opinion column with United Way of Greater Houston President and CEO Anna Babin about the organization’s assistance efforts following Hurricane Harvey.
Here is an excerpt:
Seven months have passed since Hurricane Harvey brought unprecedented disaster to the Houston area. Since then, dedicated volunteers and staff at United Way of Greater Houston have been hard at work on recovery efforts. At the time of the storm, United Way invested in first responders to meet critical immediate needs. Now we are focused on long-term recovery, which will take three to five years.
Thanks to generous donors, United Way raised $47 million in flood relief funds. While significant, these funds are no match for the unprecedented need. We see the many people who continue to endure living in a storm-damaged home, being displaced from a home or losing a job.
United Way so far has invested $11.7 million from the flood fund and served more than 44,000 families. To effectively allocate funds, an experienced, all-volunteer task force employs a multipronged approach focused on: 1) providing basic needs of food and shelter 2) managing individual recovery through dedicated professional case managers, 3) funding minor home repair and 4) assisting with unmet needs. …
Co-authored by Anna Babin. To read the full article, click here.