The Survivor Foundation Established by Knowles and Rowland Families to Provide Transitional Housing for Hurricane Evacuees

Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland--along with Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles and Solange Knowles-Smith--have announced the formation of the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up for the purpose of providing transitional housing for Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas, area.

The Survivor Foundation extends the philanthropic mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston.

The Survivor Foundation will seek to rehabilitate extant housing in the Houston area as well as provide means for new building construction and the deployment of mobile housing units to provide transitional shelter for families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

The Survivor Foundation has already secured funds in excess of $400,000 through the initial contributions of Beyonce Knowles ($250,000), Kelly Rowland, Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles, and Solange Knowles-Smith and is seeking donations from both the corporate and personal sectors to expand the reach of the Foundation's storm relief housing initiative.

The House of Dereon, the clothing line established by Beyonce and Tina Knowles, has earmarked a percentage of its profits to benefit the Survivor Foundation.

The Survivor Foundation has set an initial goal of securing cost-free transitional housing for 100 families by Christmas 2005.