HERO provides financial and emotional support for survivors of City of Houston employees killed while serving the Houston community. Because HERO is an independent organization supported entirely by donations, it needs your financial help. Contributions to HERO a 501(c)(3) charity, are tax-deductible.
How to Help
DONATE
Donate to Houston Employee Relief Organization, HERO. 100 percent of the money, plus earnings, donated to HERO will benefit dependent spouses and children of municipal employees killed at work.
Unencumbered donations to HERO will primarily be used for the Survivor’s Fund; however, a portion of those funds may be used to publicize HERO's goals.
Members of the HERO Board of Directors are volunteers from the Houston Business Sector and the City of Houston. Board members receive no compensation for their time and expenses.
- Write a check for your chosen amount, payable to HERO, and mail it to:
HERO, c/o Houston Metropolitan Federal Credit Union,
608 E. Tidwell Rd.,
Houston, TX 77022-1820 - Donate via credit card through PayPal or through the Houston Metropolitan Federal Credit Union www.myhmfcu.org.
Donate - Employees can donate through payroll deduction by participating in the city's workplace giving drive, the Combined Municipal Campaign. Sign up is during the month of October with deductions coming out January through December.
HERO'S Purpose
HERO's purpose is to provide immediate financial assistance to municipal employees' families when their loved ones dies in the performance of their duties. The public is often unaware of the dangers posed to many city employees in the performance of their duties. Since 2007, HERO has provided immediate financial assistance to numerous families. HERO will also assess the family's financial needs for future financial assistance.
HERO depends on city employees and others who do business with the city to support HERO so HERO can continue to support municipal employees' families in their time of need. HERO has no administrative expenses, so 100% of all donations serve these families.
HERO's History
HERO was created in 2007 with $10,000 Mayor Bill White raised at the city's 171st birthday bash. White has a keen understanding of how hard municipal employees work, and how - in times of trouble - they make sacrifices to service residents. So, he wanted to do something more for those employees who risk their lives every day.
Twenty municipal employees have been killed over the past twenty-five years while providing services for citizens. Their modest pay can make a public servants' untimely death especially difficult for their families financially. HERO is patterned after the long-established 100 Club, whose funding assistance is limited to survivors of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.
"City employees are all about service to our fellow citizens," White said. "In that spirit, we created HERO. It's about family helping families in a time of need."
HERO's First Effort
Lisa Norwood knows how important HERO is. At about 12:20 p.m. Dec. 14, 2007, a car struck and killed her husband while he was cleaning debris from Sabo Street near Almeda Mall. Harold Norwood, 44, was a Houston Public Works employee.
Three days later, members of the HERO Board of Directors showed up at her door. They offered her shoulders to cry on and steady guidance navigating bureaucratic waters during that traumatic time. But they wanted to do more. Although the City of Houston provides for burial expenses, HERO immediately donated $2,000 to her for other incidental expenses she might need.
After things settled down, the HERO Benefits Committee reviewed her financial condition and made a recommendation to the board that was approved. HERO then provided Lisa with additional funds to help relieve her financial burden.
They couldn't bring her husband back, but their actions parted the clouds enough to help her get through the hard days and insured that her dignity was preserved.
HERO contributions helped Lisa pay for immediate needs and to pay off debts. The financial burden created by her husband's death.
"HERO is the best thing they could have done for city employees," Norwood said. "When you're going through something like that, you need someone there to help you. You're not thinking clearly about what you need to do. So, having that help meant so much to me.
"I can't imagine what it would have been like to not have HERO there to help me."
What we do after a municipal city employee is lost:
Address
immediate needs
Immediately provide the surviving family with a check to help them through their time of need
Concierge service
Provide counsel to the family for navigating through the city of Houston insurance and benefits program
Help dependents
Provide financial assistance to eligible dependents after review and approval of the HERO benefits committee recommendations
Assist with education
Provide funds for continuing education of dependent children, in some cases
Spotlight
Board members of the Houston Employee Relief Organization (HERO) received a generous $1,500 donation from longtime supporter Houston Enterprise Car Sales’ Enterprise Holdings Foundation on Tuesday at the Houston Metropolitan Federal Credit Union. Representing the HERO board were, from left, HPW Chief Operating Officer Eric Dargan, HR Director Jane Cheeks, HERO Chairwoman Katherine Mears, and HMFCU President Malcom René. Enterprise’s Gina Harris and Demetri King presented the donation. Harris said Enterprise was pleased to support HERO “to help one of the great organizations that we live and work in."
Volunteer Board of Directors
Meet the team.
Katherine A. Mears, PE, ENV SP
Vice President
Appointed by the Mayor of Houston
James Donatto, II
Vice-Chair
Appointed by Mayor of Houston
Jason Venier
Secretary
Appointed by Mayor of Houston
Carol Haddock, PE
Board Member
Director of Public Works
Malcolm René
Board Member
President of Houston Metropolitan Federal Credit Union
Roderick Newman
Board Member
Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Houston Metropolitan Federal Credit Union
Lonnie Vara
Board Member
Appointed by Mayor of Houston and Retired Employee of the City of Houston
Jane Cheeks
Board Member
Director of City of Houston Human Resources Department
Events
We host an annual golf tournament and participate in the City of Houston's employee giving drive, the Combined Municipal Campaign.
Board meetings are held quarterly at the Houston Metropolitan Federal Credit Union at 608 E. Tidwell Rd. Houston, TX 77022.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming Events
Event Location:
Memorial Park Golf Course
1001 East Memorial Loop Drive,
Houston, TX 77007
Event Schedule:
11:30 am - Registration & Lunch
12:30 am - Shotgun Start - refreshments during play included
5:00 pm - Award Presentation
Event Recap
We host an annual golf tournament and participate in the City of Houston's employee giving drive, the Combined Municipal Campaign.
Board meetings are held quarterly at the Houston Metropolitan Federal Credit Union at 608 E. Tidwell Rd. Houston, TX 77022.
2023 Annual Golf Tournament
2022 Annual Golf Tournament
2021 Annual Golf Tournament
2019 Annual Golf Tournament
Upcoming Events
Event 1
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REGISTER & DONATE
Event 2
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REGISTER & DONATE