Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio Gives $100,000 for Disaster Relief to Aid with Hurricane Harvey Aftermath

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio (BHFSA) held a board meeting Friday, just hours before Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast. The board voted to award $100,000 in disaster relief, split evenly between two organizations involved in helping those affected by natural disasters.

The Texas Baptist Men and the Salvation Army will each receive $50,000.

"We know the work these organizations do can be lifesaving for many people when a natural disaster occurs," said Cody Knowlton, President and CEO of the BHFSA. "At a time like this when thousands of people may face flooding and the possible loss of their homes, we know it's imperative to support organizations like these two."

The Texas Baptist Men trains volunteers and coordinates efforts to provide emergency support during disasters. The organization has been involved in disaster relief in Texas and globally since 1967, and is part of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, one of the largest responders to disasters in the U.S. The Texas Baptist Men are already on stand-by waiting to respond in the aftermath of the category 4 hurricane that made landfall at 10 p.m. over Rockport.

The Salvation Army is a Christian-based international nonprofit and one of its missions is disaster relief. The organization gathers resources, donations and volunteers, and is ready to take action on short notice. In our area, they were already using social media to track and share information about the hurricane. Their assistance is triggered by a federal or state disaster declaration and includes providing water, food, shelter and helping with cleanup and reuniting families.

"We pray that damages are minimal but the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio's board felt it was necessary to take immediate action to help in the wake of this disaster," says Knowlton.

The Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio was established in 2004 from proceeds of the Baptist Health System sale to Vanguard Health Systems of Nashville, TN. Its purpose is to fund not-for-profit healthcare services and health education in an eight-county geographic area that includes Bexar, Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson. Its mission is to be committed to improving the health of its community by fostering and funding clinical, educational, spiritual and scientific initiatives while honoring God and its Baptist heritage.

Since the Foundation began making grants in 2005, it has awarded 880 grants totaling more than $61 million to organizations in Bexar and surrounding counties. Log on to www.bhfsa.org for more information.

CONTACT: Cody S. Knowlton
President and CEO
210-735-9009

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SOURCE Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio