By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

 

Sometimes the one offering the helping hand, needs help.

Bridge City Orangefield Ministerial Alliance found itself in need of assistance after Hurricane Harvey flooded the area in August.

The non-profit ministry that provides assistance for individuals and families in the community with food and other needs but it was in need of a computer and printer.

The J.J. Watt Foundation awarded the organization with the much needed computer and printer on Wednesday.

However, as added relief, the Southeast Texas Food Bank also presented the organization with a $7,500 grant. J.J. Watt Foundation donated the money to the food bank for distribution to the needed organizations in the area.

“There are two types of grants,” SETX Food Bank Agency Relations Specialist Audine Rathburn said. “A Capacity Building Grant and a Sustainability Grant. The building grant is to help with a bigger building to distribute more food to the area.”

The grant is a matching grant to help assist with Ministerial Alliance to build a larger building at the same location.

The sustainability grant is to help continue serving those the group is serving now.

“It covers the freezer that just went out,” Rathburn said.

“We are still working out the details on building,” Executive Director Melissa Isaacs said.

Isaacs said she was very excited about receiving the grants and the needed equipment.

With more grants in the works, the organization may see more in the near future as a 21 cubic foot freezer and rolling shelves are still to come.

J.J. Watt Foundation raised over $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Bridge City Orangefield Ministerial Alliance is located at 285 West Roundbunch Road in Bridge City. Services times are Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. – 12 noon.