Financial Assistance to Support Families Impacted by Hurricane Hanna
The American Red Cross began providing financial assistance and recovery planning to eligible households damaged from Hurricane Hanna August 5, 2020. This program will serve households whose residences sustained major damage or were destroyed.
Application Process
Head of households are encouraged to call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) option 4 to start their application. Service is available in English and Spanish. To ensure COVID-19 safety guidelines, the Red Cross assistance program will be available to the public by phone.
The application process will begin Wednesday August 5. Red Cross caseworkers will work with clients to confirm eligibility and provide assistance via a prepaid MasterCard.
Financial assistance will allow people to make their own decisions about what they need to start recovering. Funds can help families replace clothes or food, offset transportation costs or support other immediate needs. This financial support is in addition to the other services the Red Cross continues to provide, including emergency lodging, food, health and mental health support, and spiritual care.
Eligibility
The Red Cross is prepared to provide financial assistance to households that sustained major damage or were destroyed when Hurricane Hanna made landfall in South Texas, as determined by Red Cross disaster assessment teams.
Major damage is indicated by significant structural damage to a residence that requires extensive repairs. This may include substantial failure of the roof, walls or foundation. A residence that is destroyed is one that is a total loss or with damage so extensive that repair is not feasible.
To qualify for Red Cross assistance, heads of household may be asked to verify their identity and residency. Documentation to validate identity can include U.S. or foreign passport, government issued driver’s license or ID, permanent resident card or consular identification. Documents to validate proof of residence can include a deed, a mortgage statement, a lease or rental agreement, on property letterhead, signed by landlord, a monthly utility bill or bank statement, or an official document such as mail from a child’s school or vehicle insurance card, dated between May 1, 2020 to present.
All Red Cross services, including financial assistance, are free and available to all, regardless of citizenship or residency status, nationality, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, class or political opinions.
Regardless of whether a household qualifies for financial assistance, other forms of Red Cross support may available for everyone affected. This support includes food, health and mental health support, spiritual care and more. Call 2-1-1, visit www.211texas.org or visit https://redcrossdisasterresources.auntbertha.com/ to learn about other resources that may be available.
HOW THE RED CROSS HELPS
Since July 25, 2020, more than 380 virtual and in-person Red Cross workers have:
- Served more than 44,900 meals and snacks
- Distributed more than 20,400 emergency relief supplies like clean-up kits with mops, bleach, trash bags, etc.
- Provided more than 3,000 disaster health, mental health, spiritual care and disability consults
- Provided more than 1,400 overnight stays in emergency shelters
- Assessed more than 3,900 homes affected by Hurricane Hanna
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!
We thank individuals and community groups who are willing to support our response efforts and encourage them to register to become new volunteers. Learn more and register online at redcross.org/volunteer.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people.
Help people affected by disasters like hurricanes, floods and countless other crises by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org/donate, or call 1-800-REDCROSS. Contributions may also be sent to your local Red Cross chapter, or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
For more updates, follow the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast on Twitter and Facebook @RedCrossTXGC. You can also visit https://www.redcross.org/local/texas/gulf-coast.html or call 1-800-REDCROSS
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross is a United Way agency that shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.