Simón Bolívar Foundation Announces the Results of the "Hoy Invita Simón" Open Call for Proposals

HOUSTON, Aug. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Simón Bolívar Foundation, the non-profit, private foundation of CITGO Petroleum Corporation, is pleased to announce that it will be allocating $200,000 among five qualified charitable organizations that presented projects that best meet the criteria for the Foundation's open call for a small food grant program "Hoy Invita Simón".

The objective of the "Hoy Invita Simón" program is to provide funds to eligible charitable organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to organize food drives for individuals in need without discrimination, but with special attention to members of the Venezuelan diaspora and other vulnerable populations who are suffering because of the pandemic. Applicants were invited to present proposals that can range from a one-day event that provides a warm meal, to a multi-day or multi-week food drive that provides food supplies to families in need. Special attention was given to those applicants who, at the same time, engaged local businesses or organizations from the Venezuelan diaspora on a non-discriminatory basis.

The following grantees were selected after an independent evaluation by a Community Advisory Board and final approval by the Foundation:

• Big Little JC is an organization dedicated to empowering and improving the quality of life of children and young people with disabilities through counseling, education, financial support, and advocacy. Its project will provide food baskets of non-perishable and fresh produce to 96 families with children with disabilities for three months in the Houston Area.
• Society de Saint Vincent de Paul, Guadalupe Conference, (SVC FOUNDATION CORP.) is a Catholic organization serving people in need. Its initiative will deliver food packages in Doral, Florida to benefit more than 2,000 individuals for 4 1/2 months and, as a longer-term investment, will also receive funds for a cold room that will allow it to purchase and store fresh produce to be delivered to families affected by the pandemic in this community.
• Fullshear Outreach and Development Corporation is a faith-based nonprofit that provides medical, food, rent, and utility assistance to its local community, as well as help with job searches, furniture donation, and disaster relief. The grant funds will be allocated to an ongoing program that benefits vulnerable individuals in Katy, Texas, where there is a significant presence of the Venezuelan diaspora community.  The organization will donate a combination of warm meals and food pantry items benefiting 15,000 individuals in need for more than five months.
• Food Rescue US Inc. is a national nonprofit organization that is a leader in reducing both hunger and food waste in the U.S. by supplying healthy, fresh, surplus food to vulnerable populations. The grant will help support a community kitchen in Washington, D.C. that will provide more than 500 meals a week for 9 weeks.
• Aid for Aids INC. is a nonprofit organization committed to empowering at-risk communities. Its project will deliver nutritional support in the form of food packages to 4,000 vulnerable individuals in the New York Metro area for two months, with the help of local providers.

These grant agreements are subject to full due diligence and grant agreement execution.

About the Simón Bolívar Foundation
The Simón Bolívar Foundation is the 501(c)(3) non-profit, private foundation of CITGO Petroleum Corporation. The Foundation supports initiatives, leverages existing resources and invests in organizations to meet the immediate and long-term health needs of the most vulnerable individuals particularly in and from Venezuela with a special focus on the health and well-being of children and their mothers. 

About CITGO 
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 42 terminals, six pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,400 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 769,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the sixth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 4,600 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains.  CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc.

SOURCE CITGO Corporation

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