Americares Marks One Year of Supporting Hurricane Harvey Survivors

Stamford, Conn. – August 21, 2018 – In the year since Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas, Americares has provided more than $13 million in aid to support the recovery. Americares work includes deliveries of medicine and supplies, repairs to damaged health facilities, support for mobile health clinics in storm-damaged communities and health programs for survivors. An estimated 40,000 Texans have benefitted from Americares Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, detailed in the “Hurricane Harvey One-Year Special Report” published today on the organization’s website www.americares.org/harvey1yrreport

To date, Americares has:

• Delivered 150 aid shipments;
• Supplied enough medicine to fill an estimated 157,000 prescriptions;
• Supported mobile clinics treating 1,700 patients in storm-damaged communities;
• And trained more than 1,000 health workers through disaster preparedness and mental health workshops.

“Our work is not done. A year later, thousands of Texans are still recovering and need ongoing support,” said Americares Vice President of Emergency Programs Kate Dischino. “We continue to meet survivors’ physical and mental health needs in storm-damaged communities.”

In the aftermath of the storm, the health-focused relief and development organization established a base of operations in Houston to oversee its relief and recovery programs. More than 25,000 donors have generously supported the effort.

Americares Hurricane Harvey Relief Program is restoring health services and meeting survivors’ health needs in storm-damaged communities throughout Houston and southeast Texas. The program provides targeted assistance to the most vulnerable hurricane survivors, including low-income and uninsured families. Americares is working in partnership with more than 70 local nonprofit organizations, including many community health centers and free clinics

Going forward, Americares Hurricane Harvey Relief Program will focus on mental health and psychosocial programming as well as disaster preparedness. Americares has set a goal to teach 4,000 health workers and first responders coping skills to manage stress and trauma—allowing them to care for patients affected by the storm as well as address their own mental health needs. Americares will also continue to support health programs for patients with chronic disease in hard-hit communities.

Americares responds to an average of 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings disaster preparedness programs to vulnerable communities. The organization has a long history of responding to severe storms in the United States, including Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, Irma and Maria, the Moore, Oklahoma tornado and the 2018 California wildfires.

Since its founding nearly 40 years ago, Americares has provided more than $15 billion in aid to 164 countries, including the United States.