The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians presented Direct Relief, a Santa Barbara-based humanitarian aid organization, with a check for $20,000 to go toward its efforts to help flood victims in the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s destruction in Houston.
The presentation was made by Veronica Sandoval, the administrator for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, to Direct Relief Campaign Manager Alisse Harris prior to the Steve Winwood concert Friday night in the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom.
“We have all seen the videos and heard the stories stemming from this disaster in Houston, so we reached out to a local partner that has an excellent track record in providing humanitarian aid throughout the world,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “We’re proud to support Direct Relief and all of its efforts in Houston, and we know that donating to Direct Relief will ensure that the funds are going toward their best possible use.”
Direct Relief, in consultation with the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, announced Friday an initial $350,000 for emergency operating grants of up to $25,000 each for community health centers in Texas to help address immediate financial needs that have arisen from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey.
These emergency funds – made possible because of contributions Direct Relief has received for Hurricane Harvey – will be targeted to health centers in the communities that have experienced damage or operational losses from the hurricane or have expanded services to care for persons evacuated to other areas.
Direct Relief also is providing emergency deliveries of essential medications and health commodities to TACHC member health centers and other nonprofit safety-net health providers in Texas. Since the flooding began, Direct Relief has provided 60 emergency deliveries to 18 sites in Texas containing more than $900,000 (wholesale) in medicines and supplies, which include insulin and other requested medications that are critically important for patients with chronic conditions that can rapidly become life threatening if unmanaged.
For more information on the organization or how to make a donation, visit directrelief.org.
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has donated more than $20 million to hundreds of groups, organizations and schools in the community and across the nation as part of the tribe’s long-standing tradition of giving. To find out more about the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation and its giving programs, visitwww.santaynezchumash.org.
