Winter storm relief is available

February 23, 2021

Texas Children’s team members whose income or homes were impacted by the February 2021 winter storm in Texas may be eligible for disaster relief from the Employee Financial Assistance Fund (EFAF).

Established and managed by the Employee Assistance Program, EFAF provides financial help to eligible employees experiencing unexpected, unforeseen or unavoidable emergencies. Grant funds are available for emergency needs only.

To be eligible for an EFAF grant related to the recent winter weather event, employees must meet the requirements outlined in Employee Financial Assistance Fund Policy #1475 as well as the following criteria:

  • Must be able to verify their emergency and demonstrate that it is a basic need.
    • If requesting assistance with loss of income, employees will need to provide documentation such as late household bills to show financial hardship.
  • Must use existing resources (within reason) or plan to use them given the need is so much greater than the resources available.
  • Must contact insurance first before EFAF can assist with repairs.
    • In the application process, employees must be able to show either an insurance denial or an insurance reimbursement/payment verification.
    • If available, employees must apply for assistance from FEMA.
    • Any repairs must be related to basic needs, such as the roof, water or electricity.
    • Some home insurance will cover the cost of relocating to a hotel.
  • When the home is not livable due to damage and the employee does not have other options for shelter, relocation expenditures are covered under emergency EFAF.
  • When food loss is due to electricity outages or damage to a refrigerator has occurred, HEB gift cards can be provided.

To learn more about the EFAF process, including how to submit a confidential EFAF application, click here. You can also learn more about FEMA Disaster Assistance and additional Community Resources here.