The Moody Foundation awarded Hidalgo County $250,000 to provide personal protective equipment for first responders and front-line workers, county officials announced Monday.
The grant was awarded as part of the foundation’s recent round of COVID-19 relief grants that support the immediate basic needs of first responders in Texas.
“The timing for the grant has been especially crucial as Hidalgo County responds to recovery efforts following the hurricane and continues to weather the negative impacts from the pandemic,” county officials said in a news release Monday in reference to Hurricane Hanna and COVID-19.
The Galveston-based nonprofit was established in 1942 by W.L. Moody, Jr. and Libbie Shearn Moody. Since then, it has awarded more than $1.8 billion in grants throughout the state, including about $9.7 million in COVID-19-realted relief funds, according to its website.
Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez expressed his gratitude for the donation to frontline workers.
“Dealing with a pandemic in the middle of a hurricane has tested our resources to the limit,” he said. “This money will assist our first responders by empowering them with more resources to serve our people in need.”
Ross Moody, one of three Moody Foundation trustees, said he understood the gravity of the situation and the sacrifice first responders make each day to keep the community safe.
“We know that our friends in South Texas have been hit by unprecedented hardships,” Moody said in a news release Monday. “Hidalgo County is a resilient community, and we’re confident they will emerge stronger and better than ever.”
