Port Houston Awards $500,000 in Community Grants to 32 Local Organizations

Growing demand highlights the need for community investment across the Houston Ship Channel Region

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Port Houston has announced the award of $500,000 in Community Grants to 32 organizations serving communities across the Houston Ship Channel region. The funding will support programs ranging from workforce training and STEM education to health care access, food assistance and neighborhood improvement projects.

Interest in the Community Grants Program continued to grow in 2026. Port Houston received 194 applications requesting more than $6.6 million in funding, highlighting the significant demand for community investment in the area.

“This year's applications made clear that there is no shortage of organizations doing important work in our communities,” said Maria Aguirre, director of public affairs for Port Houston. “The need is significant, but so is the commitment of the nonprofits, schools and community partners working to address it. We're proud to support these organizations and help expand the impact they're making across the Houston Ship Channel area.”

Since launching the program in 2020, Port Houston has invested more than $2.15 million in local organizations working to expand opportunity, address community needs and strengthen neighborhoods connected to the Houston Ship Channel.

Workforce development emerged as a major focus of this year’s grants, accounting for nearly half of the funding awarded. Programs will help students explore career paths, earn industry-recognized credentials and build skills for careers in the maritime, logistics and industrial sectors that drive the regional economy.

"This grant is an incredible investment in the future of our students and our community,” said Michael Newman, Elementary STEM and Advanced Academics Specialist with La Porte Independent School District. “Through our Elementary STEM Academies, we are creating meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that inspire curiosity, encourage innovation, and empower students to become confident problem-solvers. This support allows us to continue expanding high-quality STEM opportunities that build critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and real-world skills while preparing every child for success in an ever-changing world. We are incredibly grateful for this partnership and its commitment to the students of La Porte ISD."

This year’s grant cycle also marks an important transition for the program. Beginning in 2027, future Community Grants Program investments will be guided by priorities identified through Port Houston’s Anchored in Action Community Investment Plan, which was shaped by input from more than 10,000 residents across the 14 port-adjacent communities. The change will help ensure future investments continue to reflect community-identified needs and opportunities.

Organization	Program	Amount
Armand Bayou Nature Center	Title I School Field Trip Access	$15,000
Art League of Baytown	Arts and the Ship Channel	$7,250
Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation	East End Community STEM Literacy Initiatives	$25,000
Baytown Habitat for Humanity	Safe and Stable Homes Repair & Resilience Initiative	$15,000
Career Gear Houston	Project Campus Closet	$15,000
Citizens' Environmental Coalition	Environmental Outreach and Education Crew	$15,000
City of Pasadena Neighborhood Network	Team Up to Clean Up	$10,000
Compudopt	Compudopt Pathways Program	$25,000
Fit Houston	Revitalization of Mason Park	$10,000
Friends of Galena Park Branch Library	Career Exploration and Resume Hub	$2,500
Friends of Pasadena Public Library	Building Careers: Pathways to Advancement in Industrial Construction	$5,000
Galena Park Resource and Training Center	Community Learning and Engagement Program	$25,000
Greens Bayou Coalition	Paddling for a Cleaner Greens Bayou	$5,000
Houston Area Urban League	Project Elevate	$15,000
Houston International Seafarers Center	Houston International Ship Visitor School	$5,000
Houston Symphony Society	Student Concert Series Program	$10,000
Houston ToolBank	Tool Lending Program	$12,500
Kids' Meals	Healthy Meal Delivery Program	$15,000
La Porte ISD	Elementary STEM Academies	$15,000
Lee College Foundation	Logistics Software Expansion	$20,000
Neighbors in Action	Learning Center Renovation Project	$20,000
Prison Entrepreneurship Program	Workforce & Entrepreneurship Empowerment Program	$15,000
Ronald McDonald House Charities Greater Houston	Ronald McDonald Care Mobile	$20,000
Second Servings of Houston	Expanding Access to Nutritious Food	$20,000
Segundo Barrio Children's Chorus	El Abrazo Musical: Solidarity and Security in Houston's Segundo Barrio	$20,000
SERJobs	Building the Port Workforce Initiative	$20,000
Small Places	Finca Tres Robles Apprenticeship Program and Food Access	$15,000
SPARK	SPARK School Park Program	$20,000
Target Hunger	Food Assistance and Navigation Program	$12,750
The Rose	Empower Her Health Program	$25,000
The Women's Resource	Women's Workforce Access & Employer Engagement Initiative	$20,000
Women Offshore Foundation	Career Development Program	$25,000

About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship Channel complex and its more than 200 private and eight public terminals is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports the creation of nearly 1.5 million jobs in Texas and 3.37 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $439 billion in Texas and $906 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website at PortHouston.com.