CITGO Commits $100,000 to Houston Hurricane Relief

The funds will be used to fund food, shelter and essential supplies for Houston residents affected by Hurricane Beryl.

By Kevin McIntyre | July 26, 2024

CITGO, following the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl, has committed $100,000 to support local disaster relief efforts led by the Houston Food Bank (HFB), Catholic Charities and Team Rubicon.

While this contribution addresses the most urgent needs for food, shelter and essential supplies, it will also provide long-term support to affected areas in and around Houston.

On July 8, Hurricane Beryl swept through the city, causing widespread damage and power outages to more than two million homes and businesses. Many communities are still grappling with power outages and other disruptions as rebuilding and restoration efforts continue.

“Our community was directly impacted by Beryl and affected millions of people, some of whom are still suffering weeks after the storm,” said Carlos Jordá, President and CEO of CITGO. “These three organizations are at the forefront of recovery efforts, and together we are committed to helping our neighbors in their time of greatest need.”

The CITGO donation is distributed as follows:

$50,000 to the Houston Food Bank (HFB)
Following Beryl’s incident, HFB’s production and distribution doubled to approximately 1.2 million pounds of food per day. Funds will be used to distribute ice, water, fruit and prepared meals to HFB’s network of community partners, including cooling centers and shelters.

As communities across HFB’s 18-county service area focus on recovery, HFB will continue to deliver disaster boxes and non-perishable food items and restock its warehouse and coolers to support ongoing summer feeding programs and regular distributions.

$25,000 to Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities, in collaboration with TeamCITGO volunteers, used the donation to support a disaster distribution event on July 20 at its headquarters. During the event, food, water and cleaning supplies were distributed to individuals and families affected by the storm.

$25,000 to Team Rubicon
On July 13, Team Rubicon deployed Disaster Response Volunteers, or Greyshirts, to the state to provide assistance to victims of Hurricane Beryl. The Greyshirts are on duty in and around Houston, tarping roofs, conducting chainsaw operations to clear access to homes and critical infrastructure, cutting and limbing vegetation debris, and cleaning up homes damaged by the hurricane.

“CITGO is dedicated to supporting communities in times of need,” the company said in a statement. “Through strategic partnerships and generous donations, we strive to positively impact the lives of those affected by natural disasters and other crises.”

CITGO Petroleum Corp. is a recognized leader in the refining industry and operates under the renowned CITGO brand. CITGO owns and operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lemont, Illinois, and Corpus Christi, Texas, and owns wholly and/or jointly 42 active terminals, eight pipelines and three lubricant blending and packaging plants.

With approximately 3,600 employees and a combined production capacity of approximately 807,000 barrels per day (bpd), CITGO ranks fifth and is one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States.