Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief

http://techimpressions.net/classes/jour4370/2018/05/hurricane-harvey-disaster-relief-part-1/

Part One: The American Red Cross

Since Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast in August 2017, the public has questioned the legitimacy of disaster relief organizations such as the Salvation Army, United Way, and the American Red Cross with the help they give in the wake of a disaster.

Jesika Riewe is a victim of Hurricane Harvey when it hit in Port Aransas.

“I lost everything – my house, my car, my storage unit, everything,” Riewe said.

Jesika Riewe is a Port Aransas victim of Hurricane Harvey. Photo from Jesika Riewe.

Riewe said there are many organizations that do help more, and the experience has lowered her impression of the American Red Cross.

“They have millions of dollars that are donated immediately after something like a hurricane, and they don’t give anywhere near that amount,” Riewe said.

The American Red Cross posted a one-month updateand a three-month update on their progress with Hurricane Harvey relief.

The Red Cross stated in the update that the financial assistance was distributed to more than 500,000 households. The $400 per householdemergency funds were given to families in the 39-county disaster declaration area.

The 39-county disaster declaration area for people who could apply for the $400 grant. Photo from the American Red Cross.

The documents stated that the organization is focused on long-term recovery programs that will benefit those that were impacted.

However, comparing the two updates, there was an extreme decline in the amount of money that went towards long-term recovery programs to help unmet needs. The one-month update showed the amount going from $106.5 million to just $1 million for their three-month update.

Interactive chart showing the difference between the one-month update and the three-month update for the American Red Cross expenses. Data from the American Red Cross updates. 

As of late November 2017, the document reported the Red Cross raised $493.3 million, including donated goods and services. Their website has the same numbers that are stated from the December letter and has not been updated.

The Red Cross reported that 91 cents of every dollar received for Hurricane Harvey will be spent on services to people affected by Hurricane Harvey. Of the donated funds, the three-month update outlined that 0.2 percent of the total amount will go to full-time Red Cross employees.

Part Two: United Way

The United Way stated on their website that they have raised $54.68 million for Hurricane Harvey recovery.

The organization claims that 100 percent of individual donations will be disturbed to local United Way offices affected by the hurricane.

Dolly Heitz is a reoccurring donor for United Way. Photo by Brianna Maldonado.

Dolly Heitz, an employee for Publix grocery company in Florida, said they collected donations for Hurricane Harvey victims at work through United Way. She said she also gives to the organization regularly through her paycheck with payroll deductions.

Heitz said that she hears a lot of people discuss how much the United Way CEOs make, and that it is true, but she said United Way helps a lot of Publix associates that were impacted by the disaster.

“When you actually work for the organization and don’t look at it from the top down, you do realize that a corporation does need to make money to operate, so you have to take the good with the bad,” Heitz said.

Of the $54.68 million revealed they have raised, United Way has only accounted for $11.8 million. They announced on their website that the United Way Harvey Task Force approved the $11.8 million in investments to help their neighbors and community recover.

The grants were distributed among seven categories. Of the seven, the money was split among 79 different centers, services, ministries, food banks, organizations and more. Through that money, they were able to help more than 40,000 families.

The distribution of the $11.8 million in grants. Data from the United Way.

The United Way has not released information on the distribution of the rest of donations they have raised.

A donation noted from United Way was a $10,000 disaster grant given to the Salvation Army of Greater Houston.

“United Way is an agency that supports us and vice versa,” Melanie Pang, the Salvation Army of Greater Houston manager of emergency services, said.

The Salvation Army and the United Way have had an on-and-off partnership over decades. The reason the affiliation always ends is because the United Way gives major funding cuts to the Salvation Army.

Part Three: The Salvation Army 

Melanie Pang is the manager of emergency services at the Salvation Army of Greater Houston.

She said that the Salvation Army focuses on mass feeding when a disaster hits.

The Salvation Army mobile feeding units. Photo from the Salvation Army.

Richards Partners, a public relations firm for the Salvation Army, specified in the press release that the organization had more than 500 feeding units that could be deployed to give food, water, and support to the affected areas, as well as to the first responders.

The release stated that the feeding units could serve an average of 1,500 meals per day.

On September 18, 2017, an update was posted on their website explaining the distribution of the feeding units to some cities impacted, with a reported total of more than 90 feeding units distributed.

The Salvation Army website claims the statistics are up to date. However, it is stated there have only been 78 feeding units deployed, which is less than what they originally reported.

The difference between the September update of feeding units and the website, which states it is up to date. Data from the Salvation Army.

It is revealed on their website that 100 percent of monetary donations will be spent to assist those that have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The Salvation Army has not released a statement on their distribution of funds raised.

Pang said they are currently moving into the recovery phase of distributing financial assistance. She said the organization waited to dive into the pool of donated money because they wanted to help people with the unmet needs FEMA did not cover.

Melanie Pang is the manager of emergency services for the Salvation Army of Greater Houston. Photo from Melanie Pang.

She said they wanted people to access as much as possible from federal dollars and those resources first.

“We’ve had so many people come to us for specific needs,” Pang said.

She said the Salvation Army is able to be flexible with funding to fulfill the needs of people that help them get back into their homes, such as medication and prosthetics.

“We haven’t forgotten about you, and we’re here for you,” Pang said.