You're told not to go to sleep one night in case you have to evacuate. You and your family climb into a dump truck that can move through rising waters, bringing you to higher ground, but only with the clothes on your back. Water fills your home leaving its highest mark about 3.5 feet up the walls. Everything you own is destroyed.
In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey unleashed catastrophic winds, rainfall and flooding in many parts of southern Texas. Official damage figures total $125 billion and experts estimate that recovery will take 8 – 12 years. Indeed, one year later, thousands are either still displaced from their homes or are living in gutted or half-repaired houses.
As the global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, Good360 transforms lives by providing hope, dignity, and a sense of renewed possibility to individuals, families, and communities impacted by disasters or other challenging life circumstances. Good360's key goal is toserve impacted communities by galvanizing the support of partners to address both the immediate and long-term recovery needs of Texas communities devastated by Harvey.
In response to Harvey over the past 12 months, we aimed to deliver meaningful impact with measurable results:
Good360 has distributed $9 billion+ in goods to those in need and we leverage that expertise to ensure the RIGHT GOODS are delivered to the RIGHT PEOPLE at the RIGHT TIME throughout ALL phases of a disaster.
In Texas, Good360 executed against the following strategy:
Take a Long-Term View of Disaster Recovery:
Good360 tackles disaster recovery holistically, helping address the needs of impacted communities not just in the days and weeks immediately following an event, but also years later. After Harvey, Good360 responded with needed goods within 72 hours and we have been engaged in the region ever since. We are a long-term resource providing needed goods to those impacted by Harvey. We also continue to engage and educate our corporate donors about thoughtful giving for the long-term.
Identify Specific Needs on the Ground:
Up to 60% of unsolicited goods donated during disasters end up in landfills because they are not what's needed. In Texas, we have partnered with 50+local, regional and national organizations to identify what is needed and then send exactly that. We participate in regular long-term recovery meetings across southeast Texas to understand these needs betterand relay them to our corporate partners. We added a permanent team member in Houston plus local warehousing and transportation capabilities. Over the last 12 months, Good360 has provided a variety of needed goods, including personal items, building materials + tools, furniture, and much more.
Secure and Collaborate with Partners Aligned with Our Mission:
Good360's work is made possible by the support of like-minded partners, including nonprofits, foundations and corporate donors. In Texas, we established a relationship early on with the Rebuild Texas Fund (RTF), and we leverage their support to source/distribute needed goods, to develop technology to expedite the movement of goods, and to build additional capacity. Our work with RTF has also allowed us to expand our collaboration with other important nonprofit partners like All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response, the Salvation Army and Team Rubicon. On the corporate side, more than 50 companies have donated, including major contributions from UPS, American Eagle Outfitters, and Rooms To Go.
Deployment -- Deliver Hope and Help Stabilize Families in Texas Communities:
During the 12 months after Hurricane Harvey, we have increased our network of nonprofits in the southeast Texas region by 28% and have distributed more than $16 million in critically needed product to those impacted by the storm. Target beneficiaries of these donations are low-income individuals/families, immigrant communities, children, the disabled or elderly, single-parent households, or any survivor needing assistance along the road the recovery.
Deliver Measurable Impact and Transparency:
When a company earmarks a donation for the recovery of a specific region or after a specific event, Good360 guarantees that the contribution will be used 100% for exactly that cause. We provided regular reporting to donors for the first 12 months following Harvey, tied results back to case management processes and developed impact stories to highlight the impact of donations on recovering communities.
Working with our partners, Good360 has been a catalyst for significant impact in hurricane-ravaged southeast Texas over the first 12 months after the storm:
The real reason we all do what we do – our "why" – is to help people like Ms. Audrey Davis in Houston:
"My home sustained two to two-and-a-half feet of water, so everything was a total loss. This became my bed, this window [ledge] over here. I had no idea how I would rebuild my home. Good360 and All Hands and Hearts were a gift sent from heaven to me. I've seen things like this on television, but to actually be a part of it! They came in … and helped me to rebuild my life."
