Disaster Relief grant will aid Denton County residents without water due to Winter Storm Damage
We have been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations toward our Emergency Fund in response to last month’s Winter Storm. The funds are being used to restore water for many vulnerable residents who’ve been without for weeks due to broken pipes and other plumbing issues.
The Hearst Foundations grant enabled us to partner with a property management company with relationships to plumbing contractors, as well as grassroots volunteers to initiate the plumbing repairs initiative for Denton County residents.
The need quickly outpaced what the fund will be able to accommodate with more than 65 residents in the queue, with priority given to elderly and those with young children.
“Like so many events in the past year, the Texas winter storm hit our most vulnerable neighbors the hardest,” said our President and CEO Gary Henderson. “We are grateful to the Hearst Foundation, our business partners, and these dedicated volunteers for giving us the ability to get sanitary living conditions back for these Denton County residents.”
Additionally, we formed a partnership with the local Denton Noon Rotary to further engage the business sector in this effort with contributions of funds and/or plumbers to obtain permits and assist with repairs for the growing list of households in need.
It is estimated the repairs will average between $1,000-$2,000 per household. Additional resources are needed to meet the demand.