HOUSTON – San Jacinto College students adversely affected by Hurricane Harvey will now be able to receive additional recovery assistance funds thanks to a grant awarded to the San Jacinto College Foundation by the Greater Houston Community Foundation from the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.
Founded by Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the fund was created to channel the exceptional generosity and compassion of Houston and Harris County area residents, as well as companies, foundations and individuals from across the United States, into tangible ways to help their neighbors in need as soon as possible. The fund’s second distribution of $28.9 million in November consisted of donated funds to 90 local non-profit organizations that will provide financial aid and services to Houston/Harris County flood victims. Since its founding after the hurricane, the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund has collected more than $100 million and has distributed more than $36 million.
“We are honored and grateful to have been selected as a grant recipient of the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund,” said Ruth Keenan, San Jacinto College Foundation executive director of advancement. “The East Harris County area, the College’s district, was heavily impacted by Harvey’s flooding, and hundreds of our students suffered substantial losses. We struggled to provide disaster relief assistance to those most affected, but the demand was greater than our resources. These grant funds will help us provide much needed relief to students already on our waiting list and additional students who were affected. On behalf of our students who lost books, computers, clothing, furniture, vehicles and homes, I’d like to express our sincere gratitude to the Greater Houston Community Foundation and the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund advisory committee for allowing us to provide our students with financial support and a measure of hope in their time of need.”
Within 24 hours of Hurricane Harvey’s devastating aftermath, the San Jacinto College Foundation went into action to assist students and employees that were severely affected by the natural disaster. In a matter of minutes, the San Jacinto College Emergency Relief Fund was established for students as a resource for assistance and for community members to have a means to directly give back to the community they call home. Within 72 hours of opening applications for assistance, more than 900 applications were received. Students also had additional resources for lost textbooks with the help of Barnes & Noble for the San Jacinto College Emergency Relief Textbook Fund. Barnes & Noble provided up to $250 per student who qualified for textbook assistance.
To date the San Jacinto College Foundation has raised $177,826 for the College’s Emergency Relief Fund with nearly 350 students receiving disaster and textbook relief assistance.
About the San Jacinto College Foundation
The San Jacinto College Foundation, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to enhancing the level of student achievement and excellence at San Jacinto College. Our purpose is to receive gifts, bequests, and donations, and to raise private funds to benefit the people of East Harris County, Texas. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. For more information about the Foundation, or to make a donation, please visit sanjac.edu/foundation, or call 281-998-6104.
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, industries and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has been serving the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. As a fiscally sound institution, the College currently holds bond ratings of AA and Aa2 by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, respectively. San Jacinto College is a 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Rising Star Award recipient and an Achieving the Dream Leader College. Approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students each year benefit from a support system that maps out a pathway for success. The College offers eight areas of study that prepare a diverse body of students to transfer to four-year colleges or universities or enter the workforce with the skills needed to support the growing industries along the Texas Gulf Coast. San Jacinto College graduates contribute nearly $690 million each year to the Texas workforce.
For more information about San Jacinto College call 281-998-6150, visit sanjac.edu or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.