Disaster Relief and Resilience

Fueling Good. Rebuilding Lives.

We take great pride in our commitment to social responsibility. As one of our core values, we promote and participate in a wide variety of programs to help improve the quality of peoples’ lives,especially those who suffer from poverty.

When natural disasters strike the communities where we live and work, CITGO lends a helping hand not only in the immediate aftermath but also long term. From Hurricane Harvey to the more recent Winter Storm Uri, we helped our neighbors in need by providing:

• Short-term immediate assistance to support local partners working on recovery efforts
• Long-term assistance to repair homes, rebuild communities and get them back to normal
• Equipment for first responders and community organizations designed to prepare for and accelerate recovery.

 

Polar Vortex - 2021

Severe winter storms crippled Texas and parts of Louisiana, prompting a major disaster declaration from the Federal Government and state declarations in affected counties. Thousands of residents were without safe water supplies and faced broken water pipes and other damages to their homes – many with little to no resources to repair the damage. CITGO worked with community partners to help meet ongoing needs for food and water and medium to long-term assistance for home repair in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas and Lake Charles, La. The Company committed $225,000 to assist several organizations in these efforts, including SBP, the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council and Rebuilding Together Houston. Donated funds were used for wellness checks, food distribution, plumbing repairs and guidance on completing FEMA applications.

 

COVID-19

During the pandemic, CITGO contributed more than $455,000 to 28 organizations and community partners across its footprint, providing food and basic necessities to vulnerable populations. These programs helped more than 500,000 individuals experiencing COVID-19 related struggles.

 

Hurricanes Laura and Delta - 2020

Hurricanes Laura and Delta struck the Gulf Coast within six weeks of each other, causing major damage to the Lake Charles, Louisiana area. Prior to Laura's landfall, we made arrangements to provide fuel to emergency responders and hospitals. As cleanup began after the storm, we provided nearly 1,900 meals to first responders, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Department and the National Guard and supplied frontline workers with lubricant and oil donations for rescue and recovery efforts. Partnering with Breaux Petroleum, CITGO provided Mystik Bar & Chain Lubricant and Mystik JT-4 Lawn & Garden 2 Cycle Engine Oil for local fire departments and the Cajun Navy, a Louisiana-based volunteer rescue and recovery organization to use for chainsaws, trimmers, and blowers for local utility and tree service companies providing critical support to the clean-up and recovery efforts. And finally, together with the United Way of Southwest Louisiana and Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, our Team CITGO volunteers helped with a drive-through food distribution event. As part of our longer term assistance, CITGO made charitable donations to Second Harvest and SBP, national non-profits dedicated to helping homeowners impacted by natural disasters.

 

Hurricane Harvey - 2017

Hurricane Harvey created massive destruction and devastation in Texas and Louisiana, targeting communities where we live and work. The sheer magnitude of the disaster was a turning point in our giving strategy, where we not only supported our community with immediate recovery but also invested in long- term projects to rebuild and revitalize. In response to Hurricane Harvey, CITGO immediately committed $8 million in fuel sales and, for longer term rebuilding efforts, contributed more than $12.5 million to organizations working in recovery and resilience programming. Additional assistance included:

• Replacement of damaged school supplies for the Houston, Alief and Spring Branch Independent School Districts (ISDs) and home libraries through the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation
• Shelter and temporary housing, food and supplies, healthcare and transportation for families
• Fuel donations to local power plants and volunteer organizations helping with cleanup
• Home repair in Houston and Rockport, Texas
• Custom food pantry trailer to serve as mobile, mini grocery stores, improving access to healthy foods for resident
• Equipment for our first responders in Sulphur, Louisiana, Corpus Christi and Houston, Texas