Hurricane Harvey left a path of destruction in its wake when the storm battered Houston, Texas, in August. Since many of the city’s residents are involved in the oil and fuel industry, MFA Oil employees were looking for a way to help.
After careful research, MFA Oil determined the Houston Food Bank to be the best steward of donations for aiding those affected by the hurricane. The Houston Food Bank has seen 18,000 individuals step up as volunteers to serve 18 counties in southeast Texas since the storm hit.
With a charity identified, MFA Oil employees donated $4,133 throughout September to the Houston Food Bank, and the company matched those funds for a total donation of $8,266.
“We wanted to give to a charity where a majority of the funds would be given back to the people,” says Tom May, employee development director. “The Houston Food Bank is an organization that allows our donations to at least cover the basic need of food and provide a maximum impact to those in need.”
Employees’ donations will enable the Houston Food Bank to assist thousands of individuals in need by providing nearly 15,942,027 pounds of food, water and cleaning supplies since the hurricane. The company donation allowed two times more truckloads of product than normal to be distributed to 240 different partner agencies trying to get supplies in hurricane victims’ hands.
“I prefer donating to local charities doing work in the affected communities, such as the Houston Food Bank, over larger organizations,” says Paul Ross, APM operations specialist. “I decided to donate through the company to take advantage of MFA Oil’s willingness to be philanthropic by matching any employee donation to the Hurricane Harvey victims.”
While the floodwaters may have receded, those affected by Hurricane Harvey are still in great need of food, water and cleaning supplies. The Houston Foodbank expects to see a heightened need for food distribution throughout the organization’s various community programs continuing for the foreseeable future.
For those who wish to provide additional assistance, the Houston Food Bank continues to accept donations at http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/donate/donate-money/.