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.
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Port Houston employees participate in a community volunteer event
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.
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