The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and Good360, a global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, have joined together to donate and distribute 57 trailers to families whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey and volunteers assisting in recovery. This effort is a continuation of the commitment made by both organizations to aid disaster recovery efforts not just in the immediate aftermath, but also to rebuild and ensure community resiliency in the mid- and long-term.
“After a disaster like Harvey, it takes years to rebuild a community and return its members to security. At Dow we make it our priority to support our communities as safe, healthy and resilient places to be,” said Rich Wells, vice president of operations, U.S. Gulf Coast and site director, Dow Texas Operations.
“The donation of these trailers is making an incredible impact in Texas as communities are still on the road to recovery after Hurricane Harvey,” said Howard Sherman, CEO of Good360. “Because this disaster initially occurred over a year ago, it’s easy to forget that many individuals and families are still months, if not years, away from full recovery. The commitments from partners such as Dow ensure that Good360 can get the right goods to the right people during all phases of a disaster.”
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in its communities, Dow mobilized resources for relief with a keen focus on the safety of its people. In addition to deploying volunteers, resources and dollars – and aiding reconstruction efforts with the launch of a new initiative with long-standing partner, Habitat for Humanity, called Habitat Hammers Back – Dow also purchased 135 trailers for displaced company employees to live in while their homes were being rebuilt.
Today, the hurricane has passed, waters have receded, and as their houses are repaired, Dow employees have begun to move back home. Maintaining its commitment to long-term recovery efforts, and fueling community resiliency, the company is extending the lifecycle of its initial relief investments – gifting 57 trailers no longer occupied by its employees to Good360 (a fair market value donation of approximately $807,350) for distributing the trailers to two organizations that have identified Hurricane Harvey survivors still in need of a place to call home and volunteers assisting in recovery efforts.
Recipient organizations of the trailers include:
Sandcastle Church receiving 30 trailers as temporary housing for citizens. As many houses in Port Aransas have yet to be recovered, area workers and volunteers have been forced out of the area, with the closest physical place for residency approximately 50 miles away.
Wharton Recovery Team will use 17 trailers for volunteer housing, as well as housing for families whose homes have either been destroyed by Harvey, or need to be demolished because of Harvey.
“We have found trusted partners are critical when it comes to convening forces for amplified impact and making recovery possible. Identifying Good360 to distribute these unused trailers to people in need is one way Dow continues its commitment to build sustainable communities in the long-term,” added Wells.
With both the frequency and intensity of natural disasters on the rise around the globe, there is an urgent need for a more thoughtful approach to the way companies, organizations and governments respond and help impacted communities recover. To give voice to these critical needs, Good360 joined forces with All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response and Global Citizen to pioneer a new initiative taking a “Resilient Response” pledge and raise awareness to build stronger communities that can better withstand future disasters.
Additionally, as part of its pledge, Good360 makes an effort to partner with companies with shared values, values that activate resources for long-term, intentional disaster relief. A key illustration of these efforts is showcased by the partnership between Dow and Good360 to extend the aid invested in Texas communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
