Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund awards $300k in additional grants, raising total to $1.34M for winter storm recovery
DALLAS — The Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund will distribute another $300,000 to 15 local organizations that have been helping residents recover from Winter Storm Uri, Mayor Eric Johnson announced Thursday.
Each nonprofit will receive a $20,000 grant. In total, 66 organizations have now received $1.34 million from the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund since the February winter storm and power outages.
“To those still recovering from Winter Storm Uri: we have not forgotten you. We know that our community is still in need. That is why I am thrilled that we have now been able to distribute more than $1.3 million to reputable local organizations that have done excellent work helping our residents during this time of great need,” Mayor Johnson said. “Dallas is strong because its people are strong, and with the help of these organizations, we will fully recover from this catastrophe.”
The Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund, sponsored by The Dallas Foundation, was initially created to help the City of Dallas shelter Hurricane Katrina refugees in 2005. The Fund also previously distributed $275,000 to organizations that were helping residents navigate the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grants were unanimously approved by the Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund advisory committee. Former U.S. Ambassador and current Hunt Consolidated Senior Vice President Jeanne Phillips chairs the committee. The other members of the committee are The Dallas Foundation President and CEO Matthew Randazzo, UT Southwestern Vice President for Community and Corporate Relations Ruben Esquivel, The Beck Group’s Executive Chairman Peter Beck, Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax, and Mayor Johnson’s Chief of Staff Mary Elbanna.
The money in the Fund can only be used in the event of a federally declared disaster in Dallas. The state of Texas received an initial federal disaster declaration for the winter storm from President Joe Biden on Feb. 14.
Grants from the Fund for winter storm recovery were made possible by large donations from organizations such as the Dallas Mavericks, Sempra Energy Foundation, Kroger, the Siebert Williams Shank Foundation, Myers Financial Corp., the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, the National Basketball Association, the Zierk Family Foundation, the Addy Foundation, the Greater Dallas Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce, and others.
"The Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund provides the perfect example of what can happen when a community of donors comes together for a common purpose, " said Randazzo, the President and CEO of The Dallas Foundation. "Bringing together gifts from corporations, foundations, and individual donors has resulted in our ability to support their ongoing response to our neighbors affected by the winter storm."
The $300,000 tranche follows a first tranche of $500,000 in late February and second tranche of $540,000 awarded in March.
"Dallas has an amazing community of organizations and donors who we can always count on to step up in our times of need,” said Phillips, the committee’s chair. “The Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund serves an invaluable role in identifying quality local nonprofits and directing assistance to where it is most helpful. We are excited to award another set of grants, and we cannot wait to see the funding put to work to help our city continue its recovery from the devastating winter storms.”
Below are the organizations receiving the latest tranche of $20,000 grants. The Family Place is the only organization to receive a second $20,000 grant after receiving a grant in the first tranche. Mayor Johnson recommended the organization because of the significant damage that its shelter sustained in the winter storm paired with the ongoing increase in domestic violence-related aggravated assaults in Dallas.
- Covenant Purpose and Restoration Family Center
- Dallas Furniture Bank, Inc.
- ImmSchools
- International Rescue Committee
- Jubilee Park & Community Center
- Puede Network
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas
- Texans Can Academies
- The Concilio
- The Family Place
- Under 1 Roof
- Union Gospel Mission of Dallas (UGM Dallas)
- Vogel Alcove
- Women in Need of Generous Support (WiNGS)
- YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas
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