Rebuild Texas Fund Team Distributes $2.15 Million

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rebuild Texas Fund team announced today they have awarded the first round of funding of $2.15 million from the Rebuild Texas Fund to well-established organizations with a strong track record and a local presence working to help Texas communities recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey. 

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the OneStar Foundation recognize Hurricane Harvey as an unprecedented natural disaster that requires a collective and sustained commitment over the long term to help impacted communities. They created the Rebuild Texas Fund to support hurricane-impacted communities by identifying gaps in rebuilding efforts and providing organizations with additional resources. By partnering with respected organizations that have staff on the ground in local Texas communities, the fund can be both purposeful and nimble ? with the goal of providing the greatest possible impact for those regions most affected by the storm.

Sixteen organizations have been selected to receive funding from the Rebuild Texas Fund as of today, including:

• Aransas County Education Foundation
• BakerRipley
• Communities in Schools
• Education Service Center 2 on behalf of Aransas Pass ISD
• Genesys Works
• iConnect Outreach
• Ingleside ISD Education Foundation
• Jewish Family Service
• Mennonite Disaster Service
• New Hope Housing
• OneGoal
• Operation Blessing
• Port Aransas Education Foundation
• Samaritan's Purse
• Save the Children
• Taft ISD Education Foundation

Find more information about these grants here: www.RebuildTX.org/projects.

"We have spent the last several weeks listening to people across Texas who have been directly affected by the storm to understand their needs," said Lori Fey, executive director of the Rebuild Texas Fund at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. "The organizations we have selected for this first round of funding are working on the ground to provide recovery and rebuilding services for the many families in their communities who need support. For us, this is just the beginning. We will be doing this work for years to come. We anticipate up to three years of work ahead of us in supporting and rebuilding these communities." 

The Rebuild Texas Fund supports organizations that provide services in four focus areas: health and housing; schools and child care; workforce and transportation; and capital for rebuilding small businesses; and has a special focus on serving low-income communities and their most vulnerable members. To date, the fund has over $70.7 million donated by thousands of caring individuals, including Michael and Susan Dell, corporations and foundations across the country.

About Rebuild Texas Fund
The Rebuild Texas Fund is designed to help the families and communities across Texas who have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Michael and Susan Dell launched the fund through their foundation ? the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation ? by providing the lead donation and ongoing match funds to support the long-term recovery and rebuilding of these communities. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is working in collaboration with the OneStar Foundation where the funds are housed and administered. Together with partners, individuals and businesses, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the OneStar Foundation aim to coordinate $100 million towards recovery and rebuilding efforts. More information about the Rebuild Texas Fund is available at www.RebuildTX.org.

SOURCE Rebuild Texas Fund