[Press Conference: “Judge Hidalgo and Mayor Whitmire Activate Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund”]
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THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS AMANDA MCMILLAN, I'M PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON.
UM, FIRST I, I ABSOLUTELY MUST GIVE MY DEEPEST THANKS TO JUDGE HIDALGO AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, UM, FOR, FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UM, AND FOR THERE AND, AND EVERYONE'S HEROIC EFFORTS TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE BARREL.
UM, AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE HURRICANE BARREL RECOVERY FUND, WHICH WE'RE ANNOUNCING THIS AFTERNOON, THEY, ALONGSIDE OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEIR TEAMS, EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND COUNTLESS OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS, NON-PROFIT PARTNERS, VOLUNTEERS AND NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK WITH IMMEDIATE RESPONSE EFFORTS AS CREWS WORK TO REMOVE DEBRIS, RESTORE POWER, AND GET US ON THE PATH TO RECOVERY.
TODAY I'M JOINED BY BOB HARVEY, CO-CHAIR OF THE DISASTER ALLIANCE DISASTER RECOVERY COUNCIL AND INCOMING BOARD CHAIR FOR THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
WE'RE HERE TO SHARE, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE BARREL, AND WE'RE ALSO JOINED TODAY BY DONNA SIMS WILSON, OUR OTHER CO-CHAIR OF THE DISASTER RECOVERY COUNCIL AND UNITED WAY BOARD.
MEMBER DONNA, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
WE LAUNCHED THE HOUSTON GREATER, UH, GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE JUST OVER A YEAR AGO TO PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO SWIFTLY ACTIVATE COMMUNITY-BASED FUNDRAISING EFFORTS.
MOBILIZE OUR TRUSTED NETWORK OF NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND CONNECT THOSE IN NEED WITH RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP THEM RECOVER, REBUILD, AND BE BETTER PREPARED IN THE FUTURE.
WE KNOW THAT ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, 13% OF HOUSEHOLDS ARE STRUGGLING ON INCOMES BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE.
AND ANOTHER 31% OF HOUSEHOLDS IN OUR REGION ARE WORKING HARD, BUT STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET WHEN DISASTER STRIKES.
IT'S THESE NEIGHBORS WHO OFTEN GET HIT THE HARDEST.
THEY'VE BEEN FACED WITH EXPENSIVE HOME REPAIRS, LOSING A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD, THEY DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET TO COVER, THEY'VE LOST INCOME BECAUSE THEIR BUSINESS OR THEIR RESTAURANT IS CLOSED, THEIR SUMMER CAMPS THAT THEIR KIDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AT ARE CLOSED, OR TRANSPORTATION'S BECOME AN EVEN BIGGER BARRIER FOR THEM.
WE SPOKE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE IN MAY WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THE SEVERE WEATHER INTO RETRO RECOVERY FUND, WHICH RAISED AND DISTRIBUTED $3 MILLION.
WE'RE NOW EXPERIENCING THE COMPOUNDING HARDSHIPS YET AGAIN WITH HURRICANE BARREL, A STORM WITH MUCH WIDER IMPACT THAN THE DERECHO DISASTERS INCREASE THE CHALLENGES AND DISPARITIES WE SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE NEED A PROACTIVE RESPONSE ON DISASTER RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY FOR ALL OF US TO CONTINUE TO PROSPER AND THRIVE ACROSS GREATER HOUSTON.
THE HURRICANE BARREL 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.
WE'RE TARGETING OUR EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN HARRIS, FORT BEND, MONTGOMERY, AND WALLER COUNTIES, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN HIT HARD BY THE STORM.
FOR THOSE WHO NEED HELP RIGHT NOW, PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE CALL OUR TWO ONE ONE TEXAS UNITED WAY HELPLINE, WHICH IS OUR COMMUNITY'S KEY 24 7 INFORMATION SOURCE.
DURING TIMES OF DISASTER, YOU CAN CONNECT, UM, WITH MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT RESOURCES ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY BY JUST CALLING 2 1 1 OR TEXTING 2 1 1.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BOB.
AND I WANT TO ECHO AMANDA'S COMMENTS.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU, UH, FOR YOUR EFFORTS OVER THE PAST WEEK TO INFORM AND ASSIST OUR COMMUNITY.
AND OF COURSE, I WANNA THANK JUDGE HIDALGO AND MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP THIS PAST WEEK, UH, FOR ALL THAT THEY'VE DONE.
I'M THE VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR ELECT OF THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, AND I'M CO-CHAIR ALONG WITH DONNA OF THE DISASTER RECOVERY COUNCIL, UH, OF THE GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN DISASTER STRIKES, WE'RE REMINDED THAT NO ONE ORGANIZATION CAN DO IT ALL.
IT REQUIRES A COLLABORATIVE AND COORDINATED RESPONSE FROM NON-PROFIT FOR-PROFIT, PUBLIC SECTOR, AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE THAT THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR REGION GET THE HELP THEY NEED TO START THE RECOVERY PROCESS.
THAT IS WHY THE GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE WAS FORMED JUST OVER A YEAR AGO TO BE A CONSISTENT PART OF OUR REGION'S RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON TOGETHER HAVE 35 PLUS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DISASTER PHILANTHROPY.
MANY OF US RECALL THE STORMS, ALLISON, KATRINA, RITA, IKE, HARVEY WINTER STORM URI, THE RECENT DERECHO AND AL HURRICANE BARREL.
THE DISASTER ALLIANCE WAS FORMED BY THE UNITED WAY AND THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TO SOLIDIFY OUR
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EFFORTS, WORK MORE STRATEGICALLY WITH THE MAYOR AND THE JUDGE, AND ENSURE THAT WE MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THE PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENTS BY OUR GENEROUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS.WHILE WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS NEED RELIEF IN THE SHORT TERM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE INTERMEDIATE TO LONG-TERM RECOVERY FROM HURRICANE BARRELL.
THIS FUND WILL SUPPORT INITIATIVES TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY BUILD BACK STRONGER.
NOW, AS AMANDA MENTIONED, THE BARREL FUND, WHICH WE'RE ANNOUNCING TODAY, WILL SERVE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS, FORT BEND, MONTGOMERY, AND WALLER COUNTIES, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SEVERELY AFFECTED BY THE HURRICANE.
IT WILL COMPLIMENT REGIONAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EFFORTS BY PROVIDING GRANTS TO LOCAL NONPROFITS TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, HOME REPAIR, AND RESOURCE NAVIGATION SERVICES.
THE FUND WILL DISTRIBUTE GRANTS TO TRUSTED NONPROFIT PARTNERS WHO HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THAT THEY WILL HELP US BE BOTH EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE, AS WELL AS EQUITABLE IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THESE FUNDS.
WE'RE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THIS AFTERNOON THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED, RECEIVED THREE LEAD COMMITMENTS TO THIS FUND.
YES, UH, THE SERAPHIM FOUNDATION, MANY OF YOU MAY RECALL FAIA SERAPHIM UPON HIS DEATH TWO YEARS AGO, HE ESTABLISHED THE SERAPHIM FOUNDATION, SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT THEY'VE MADE A MILLION DOLLAR CONTRIBUTION.
HEB DON'T NEED TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION THERE.
IT'S JUST, UH, FOR THE MILLION DOLLAR DONATION FROM HEB AND ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE THIS WEEK.
AND IN EVERY EVENT THAT WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD, AND CENTERPOINT ENERGY FOUNDATION, THE FOUNDATION ASSOCIATED WITH CENTERPOINT ENERGY HAS ALSO DONATED GENEROUSLY A MILLION DOLLARS.
WHILE THE COMPANY AND ITS EMPLOYEES ARE BUSY S RESTORING SERVICE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE CENTER POINT ENERGY FOUNDATION STEPPING FORWARD WITH THEIR GIFT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF OTHER CORPORATE GIFTS.
I WANT TO CALL OUT WELLS FARGO AND SHELL, UH, SUCH THAT TODAY, UH, WE'RE WELL OVER NOW 3 MILLION IN OUR FUNDRAISING, BUT WE CERTAINLY HOPE AND EXPECT TO GO MUCH FURTHER.
NOW, DIFFICULT TIMES ARE WHEN I LIKE TO THINK WE SEE THE, THE BEST OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND AS OUR NEIGHBORS FACE THE NEXT STEP AND THEIR LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY, WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO SUPPORT THE HURRICANE BARREL RECOVERY FUND.
TRULY, ANY AMOUNT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THIS EFFORT TO MAKE A DONATION VISIT WWW.DISASTERALLIANCE.ORG/BERYL, BERY.
SO NOW PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING HARRIS COUNTY, JUDGE LENA HIDALGO.
I WANT I WANT TO CLAP, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, UM, IT'S A START.
MAYOR, I'M GONNA REPEAT MY REMARKS IN SPANISH AFTER THE MAYOR SPEAKS, BECAUSE HE HAS TO LEAVE.
UM, BUT I WANT TO, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE EVERYONE WHO'S HERE AND HAS HELPED MAKE THIS POSSIBLE FROM OUR VARIOUS PARTNERS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I BELIEVE I SAW, UH, IS STILL HERE.
UM, AND, AND REALLY I THINK YOU REPRESENT SO MANY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING DAY AND NIGHT, UM, ALONG WITH OUR STAFF.
SO I SEE FOUR PILLARS OF SUPPORT AS WE RECOVER FROM THIS DISASTER.
OF COURSE, THERE'S, THERE'S THE GOVERNMENT PILLAR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE MAYOR AND I, AND SO MANY OF OUR, UM, COLLEAGUES ACROSS LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE'VE WORKED HARD TO PROVIDE THE FEDERAL, UH, TO SECURE FEDERAL AID.
WE'VE WORKED HARD TO DISTRIBUTE SUPPORT IN TERMS OF, UM, FOOD, IN TERMS OF WATER, UM, SO FAR IN HARRIS COUNTY, 320,000 MEALS, 730,000 BOTTLES OF WATER, 82,000 BAGS OF ICE THAT HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.
AND THAT'S JUST HARRIS COUNTY.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN A STAGING AREA FOR MATERIALS TO GO TO NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
UM, THERE'S OF COURSE THE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, THAT I'M VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
IT'S, UH, A BIG DEAL FOR US TO HARNESS THAT PIECE.
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANT TO KNOW, HOW CAN I HELP? I HAVE THE MEANS I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT.
AND, UH, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN REALLY BE THERE TO RECEIVE THAT HELP, UM, BECAUSE WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THERE'S, UM, THAT THERE'S A VERY CLEAR VENUE.
THE OTHER PIECE IS, UM, VOLUNTEERISM.
AND SO I'LL TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT AT THE END OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE BECAUSE IT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
AND THANK YOU, AMANDA, FOR ALLOWING US A CHANCE TO MENTION THAT HERE IS FOLKS CAN GIVE OF THEIR TIME, FOLKS CAN GIVE OF THEIR TIME.
AND I WANT TO JUST MENTION, I SNUCK IN A FOURTH ONE IN TERMS OF POLICY.
I KNOW THAT THE, THIS TELL YOU GOVERNMENT DURING A DISASTER AND GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF POLICY, AND WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND, UH, AND WORK TO DO IN TERMS OF
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WHAT, UH, THE REGULATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS AROUND OUR POWER UTILITIES SHOULD LOOK LIKE.SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY LONG WEEK, EXACTLY SEVEN DAYS FROM WHEN THE HURRICANE HIT.
UH, WE WERE ALL SEVEN DAYS AGO, UH, GOING THROUGH THE TAIL END OF IT AND, UH, CLOSE TO 225,000 PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER STILL.
BUT WE'RE SEEING FOLKS STEP UP.
WE FOUND OUT OVER 6,800 PEOPLE IN HARRIS COUNTY HAVE REPORTED DAMAGE TO THEIR HOMES, MANY OF THEM MAJOR DAMAGE, EVEN INCLUDING A HUNDRED TWENTY, A HUNDRED FORTY TWO HOMES THAT ARE TOTALLY DESTROYED.
WE'VE SEEN THE IMAGES WE'VE VISITED WITH THESE FOLKS THAT HAVE A TREE GOING THROUGH THEIR HOME, UM, THAT HAVE WATER FALLING IN, ADDING INSULT TO INJURY THAT HAVE DEBRIS, WHOSE FOOD HAS GONE BAD, WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO HIRE THE SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO, TO IMPROVE THAT.
UM, HERE, HERE ARE THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH, IN WHICH WE CAN HELP.
ON THE NONPROFIT SIDE, UH, ON THE NONPROFIT SIDE, UH, WE HAVE THE UNITED WAY HELPLINE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THEY CAN CALL TWO ONE ONE.
YOU CAN CALL 2 1 1 IF YOU NEED AID, AND THAT WORKS FOR THE ENTIRE STATE.
SO NO MATTER WHICH OF THE, OF THE 15 COUNTIES YOU ARE IN, THAT WAS AFFECTED AND IT'S PART OF THE DISASTER DECLARATION, UM, CALL 2 1 1 IF YOU NEED SUPPORT.
THERE'S A LITTLE SPIEL, AND THEN IT SAYS, DO YOU NEED HELP RELATED TO HURRICANE BARREL? OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
UM, THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY OBVIOUSLY IS KEY IN HELPING US BRING, BRING THIS FORWARD, WHICH IS, UM, A GREAT START, $3 MILLION, THESE GREAT PLAYERS, AND ANOTHER MAJOR SOURCE, SOURCE OF SUPPORT.
THE FEMA FUNDING IS A MAJOR SOURCE OF SUPPORT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
PEOPLE CAN ALREADY APPLY, AND I WILL STAND UP THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER SOON.
BUT THESE, THIS SUPPORT IN THE, UH, BARREL FUND IS, IS A BIG, BIG OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH.
WE CAN NEVER MAKE PEOPLE WHOLE WITH, WITH THE FEDERAL AID, WITH ALL THE WORK THAT WE TRY TO DO AS GOVERNMENT.
UM, MAYOR TURNER AND I, FORMER MAYOR TURNER AND I STARTED GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE LAST YEAR WITH THESE PARTNERS BECAUSE IN THE PAST WE WOULD HAVE SO MANY CORPORATIONS AND NONPROFITS WONDERING WHERE THEY COULD GIVE.
PREVIOUSLY, WE NEVER HAD ONE CENTRAL PLACE TO DIRECT EVERYONE.
THAT DIDN'T MEAN PEOPLE WERE LESS GENEROUS.
WE'VE ALL SEEN THE GENEROSITY OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S SO MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE A WAY TO, TO HARNESS THOSE DONATIONS.
AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL, MAYOR, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE, UM, THIS, THIS GOOD NEWS WITHIN THE TRAGEDY WITH YOU.
AND SO, UM, IT'S SET UP THROUGH THE GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE, COMPRISED OF THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS RECOVERY FUND POSSIBLE.
OF COURSE, THE CITY, THE UNITED WAY, GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, UH, SO QUICK TO ACTIVATE IN THE FACE OF DISASTERS.
UM, AND I WANT TO THANK THE INITIAL COMPANIES THAT HAVE ALREADY CONTRIBUTED.
WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO? IT'LL GOES ESPECIALLY TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
SO AS BOB HARVEY SAID, IT'LL GO FIRST TO NONPROFITS, AND THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE FOLKS, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE.
UM, YOU, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THERE ARE MANY FOLKS WHO ARE AFFECTED THAT DO NOT HAVE HOME INSURANCE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN TAKING PLACE AS WE HAVE MORE AND MORE DISASTERS IS PEOPLE ARE BEING DROPPED BY THEIR INSURANCE.
AND FOR SOME FOLKS THAT I'VE MET, UM, AND PERHAPS YOU GUYS HAVE MET AS WELL, IT COULDN'T HAVE COME AT A WORSE TIME.
SO, SO THIS WILL BE A BIG, BIG PIECE.
NOW TO CONCLUDE, LET ME JUST TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL PILLAR OF VOLUNTEERISM.
VOLUNTEERISM MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE AS WELL.
AND JUST LIKE THIS BARREL, UM, RECOVERY FUND, WE CAN NEVER REALLY DO AS MUCH AS AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT INCLUDING VOLUNTEERISM IN THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO SURE HAD A TERRIBLE TIME WITHOUT POWER, UM, BUT NOW HAVE THEIR POWER BACK AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO HELP.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A WAY IT TAKES UP TO SIX PEOPLE AN ENTIRE DAY TO REMOVE ONE LARGE TREE.
SO IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF HOMES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE AFFECTED OVER 6,000 THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED.
NOW WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HAVE NOT BEEN REPORTED, AND WE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE OUT THERE TO CUT DOWN ALL THE TREES AND, AND, AND TO HAUL ALL OF THAT OUT TO THE FRONT YARD FOR OUR DEBRIS TRUCKS TO PICK IT UP.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS, UH, FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR SO MANY OF THE, UH, MAJOR OPERATIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CARRY OUT AS GOVERNMENT, AS NONPROFITS.
UM, AND SO YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS, JUST THE WISH TO HELP.
UH, YOU ALSO, AS WITH, UH, HAVING NEED, WE HAVE A, A ONE STOP SHOP, AN EASY PHONE NUMBER WHERE YOU CAN BOTH REQUEST HELP AND YOU CAN OFFER HELP.
YOU CAN SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, AND THAT IS THE TWO ONE ONE
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CALL LINE.AND SO PLEASE, IF YOU'RE WATCHING THIS, IF YOU WANT TO HELP, CALL 2 1 1, PRESS THAT FIRST OPTION.
UM, IT'LL SAY YOU CLEARLY VOLUNTEERS ARE, ARE, UH, REQUESTED THERE, AND THEY'LL MATCH YOU WITH AN OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU'RE MORE COMFORTABLE ONLINE VISIT, UM, VOLUNTEER, HOU VOLUNTEER HUGH.ORG.
UM, AND OF COURSE TO CONTRIBUTE AS, AS, UH, BOB SAID, IT'S THE, UM, IT'S THE DISASTER ALLIANCE.ORG.
IN FACT, IF YOU GO TO THE HOMEPAGE, IT, THERE'S A BIG BANNER THAT SAYS BARREL, SO YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO REMOVE THE SLASH.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE.
WE'LL KEEP FIGHTING FOR THOSE AFFECTED, UM, TRUST.
WE ARE THERE DAY AND NIGHT, AND THIS IS A, A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT STEP.
WE CAN, WE CAN'T, EVEN WITH THIS, EVEN WITH THE VOLUNTEERISM, A DISASTER IS A DISASTER AND PEOPLE ARE, ARE NOT GONNA BE MADE WHOLE.
UM, BUT JUST THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY AVENUES FOR SUPPORT IS, IS SPECIAL.
AND I THINK IT'S QUITE UNIQUE TO OUR AREA.
I'LL PASS IT ON TO MAYOR WHITMEYER.
UH, LET ME THANK EVERYONE THAT IS PRESENT.
CERTAINLY THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE CO-CHAIRS.
WHAT WE'RE WITNESSING TODAY IS HOUSTON'S GREATNESS.
THERE'S NO OTHER COMMUNITY IN TEXAS OR THE NATION THAT COMES TOGETHER DURING A CRISIS AND CAN BRING THE DIFFERENT DIVERSIVE GROUPS, UH, UNITED GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED TODAY IN THE BOROUGH FUND.
OBVIOUSLY, EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TOGETHER.
THE COLLABORATION IS OUTSTANDING.
EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, FEMA, SBA WILL BE HERE FROM THE FEDERAL.
WE'RE, UH, WORKING TOGETHER ON DEBRIS PICKUP.
WE'RE EMPHASIZING THE, UH, COOLING CENTERS, ICE WATER.
BUT HERE TODAY, A COMING TOGETHER OF HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON RESIDENTS TO CREATE A FUND WHICH WILL REACH THE MOST VULNERABLE.
AND I WANT TO, UH, URGE THE PUBLIC TO, UH, PARTICIPATE.
CERTAINLY PRIVATE CORPORATE HOUSTON IS STEPPING UP AS WE TALK, BUT, UH, LET ME SUGGEST WE WOULDN'T BE HERE AND BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT OUR NON-PROFITS.
THANK YOU TO THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON.
THANK YOU, BOB, FOR CHAIRING THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
SO NOW THE BOROUGH FUND IS GOING TO SHOW ONE MORE TIME, HOUSTON'S GREATNESS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, THE FAITH COMMUNITY.
I COULD GO ON AND SPEND THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON THINKING INDIVIDUALS.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A GREAT CITY AND GREAT PEOPLE, GREAT HARRIS COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
SO LET'S JUST ALL REMEMBER COMING TOGETHER.
AND I'M CERTAINLY GONNA CONTINUE TO SHOUT THIS OUT.
WHEREVER I GO TOGETHER, UNITED, WE DO WHAT NO OTHER COMMUNITY CAN DO.
AND TODAY IS ANOTHER INDICATION OF THAT.
AND I DO HAVE A STRATEGIC MEETING, MEETING TO GET TO JUDGE, BUT OUTTA RESPECT FOR YOU AND OUR SPANISH SPEAKING RESIDENTS.
I'M GONNA START OUT LISTENING, UH, TO YOUR GREAT PRESENTATION.
SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU TO THE STAKEHOLDERS.
WE COULDN'T GET THE WORD OUT WITHOUT YOUR COOPERATION, SO LET'S ALL GO TO WORK, YOUR HONOR.
SO LET ME REPEAT, UM, HERE BRIEFLY, AND I DO WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, IT WAS LISTED HARRIS COUNTY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE VARIOUS, UM, OTHER COUNTIES THAT, THAT CAN RECEIVE AID FROM THIS FUND, UM, WHEREVER YOU ARE IN HARRIS COUNTY.
SO IF YOU'RE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OF COURSE THAT'S THE PARTNERSHIP.
BUT WHEREVER YOU ARE IN HARRIS COUNTY, UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN RECEIVE THIS AID.
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HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE.ALLIANCE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, UNITED WAY ALLIANCE.
AND BEFORE I HAVE TO MAKE MY NEXT MEETING, LET ME ASK HOUSTONIANS TO RESPECT THE CENTER POINT AND OUT OF CITY LINEMEN, UH, WE HAVE SECURITY ISSUES.
WE HAVE HBD AT THE STAGING SITES, ESCORTING LINEMEN, BUT THE THREATENING OF LINEMEN WHO ARE OUR FRIENDS AND TRYING TO RESTORE ENERGY.
PLEASE RESPECT THESE INDIVIDUALS.
THEY'RE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN AS WORKERS.
UH, AND WE NEED, THEY NEED OUR SUPPORT.
NUMBER TWO, I WOULDN'T BE DOING MY JOB IF I DID NOT SAY THANK YOU TO CENTER POINT AND THEIR FOUNDATION, THEIR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION.
BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS OUR POWER TURNED ON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, JUDGE HIDALGO.
UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, BOTH FOR YOUR
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SUPPORT OF THE HOUSTON BARREL, UH, HURRICANE BARREL RECOVERY FUND AND THE GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE.AND THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESS CONFERENCE FOR TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.