CITGO to donate $100,000 to Houston disaster relief efforts

Photography courtesy of CITGO

CITGO is donating $100,000 to support local disaster relief efforts after a derecho severely impacted the Houston area, the Houston-based refiner said..

The donations will provide immediate and long-term support to affected communities, meeting urgent needs such as food, shelter, home repairs and essential supplies, CITGO said.

“Our community has been hit hard by these storms, and it is our responsibility to step up and support our neighbors in their time of need,” said Edgar Rincon, CITGO Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. “These organizations are making a significant difference in recovery efforts and providing relief to those who have been affected. So we want to amplify their work as Houstonians rebuild. »

The derecho hit the Houston area on May 16, with thunderstorms, hurricane-force winds and a tornado that reduced businesses and other structures to piles of debris, uprooted trees and shattered glass from skyscrapers. Nearly 1 million Houston homes and businesses lost power, CITGO said.

The contribution will be divided equally between four local organizations:

• Houston Food Bank (HFB), which provides emergency food assistance to communities affected by natural disasters. The donation will help HFB replenish food and assist people who lost all of their perishables due to power outages.
• BakerRipley will use this donation to support its four community centers by providing shelter and ongoing holistic assistance to families.
• Rebuilding Together Houston ensures veterans’ homes are safe and habitable and will use the donation to help fund licensed contractors to complete disaster-related repairs for low-income homeowners impacted by the storms.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will use the donation to provide gift cards, food, clothing, vouchers for temporary shelter and essential supplies to storm victims.

Preparing for Hurricane Season

CITGO also donated $125,000 in resiliency grants to nonprofit organizations working to keep people safe, informed and prepared during the start of the Atlantic hurricane season in the Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana areas.

“By working with these organizations, we want to help equip our communities with the tools and resources they need to meet the challenges of the upcoming storm season,” said Kresha Sivinski, vice president of human resources and services. support from CITGO. “The proactive steps we are taking now to prepare for this time of year are very important: it’s about bringing people together and helping them to protect themselves. As a member of these communities, there is nothing more rewarding for us at CITGO than caring for people in the face of adversity.

These grants went to:

• Greater Houston Interfaith Ministries for Operation IMpact. The funds support the distribution of five meals of non-perishable food to 5,000 homebound seniors through the Meals on Wheels program. CITGO volunteers delivered the items on June 1 (pictured above).
• Gulf of Mexico Alliance, which supports the Corpus Christi community and improves overall resilience to future risks.
• United Way of Southwest Louisiana so contractors can remove lost branches or weakened trees near residences.

CITGO Petroleum Corp. is a leader in the refining industry and operates under the CITGO brand. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products, and supplies a network of approximately 4,000 independently owned and operated branded retail locations, all located in east of the Rocky Mountains. CITGO Petroleum Corp. is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc.

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