CITGO is donating $100,000 to support local disaster relief efforts after a derecho severely affected the Houston area, the Houston-based refiner said.
The donations will provide immediate and long-term support to affected communities, addressing urgent needs like food, shelter, home repair and essential supplies, CITGO said.
“Our community has been hit hard by these storms, and it's our responsibility to step up and support our neighbors in their time of need,” said CITGO COO and Executive Vice President Edgar Rincon. “These organizations are making a significant difference in the recovery efforts and bringing 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 split evenly among 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 provide assistance for people who lost all of their perishable food due to power outages.
- BakerRipley will use the donation to support its four community centers in providing refuge and ongoing holistic assistance to families.
- Rebuilding Together Houston ensures the homes of veterans are safe and livable and will use the donation to help fund licensed contractors to perform disaster-related repairs for low-income homeowners affected 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.
Hurricane Season Prep
CITGO also donated $125,000 in resilience grants to nonprofits working to keep people safe, informed and prepared during the start of Atlantic hurricane season in the Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, areas, and in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
“Working with these organizations, we want to help equip our communities with the tools and resources they need to navigate the challenges of the upcoming storm season,” said CITGO Vice President of Human Resources and Support Services Kresha Sivinski. “The proactive steps we take now to prepare for this time of year are so important—it's about bringing people together and helping them protect themselves. As a part of these communities, there is nothing more rewarding for us at CITGO than taking care of people in the face of adversity.”
These grants went to:
- Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston for Operation IMpact. Funds support the distribution of five meals worth of nonperishable 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 enhances overall resilience to future hazards.
- United Way of Southwest Louisiana so contractors can remove stray 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 it supplies a network of approximately 4,000 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains. CITGO Petroleum Corp. is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc.
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