Grocery retailers are mobilizing relief efforts after Hurricane Isaias made landfall along the northern Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm late Oct. 9, bringing flooding, strong winds and widespread power outages to the Florida Panhandle and Alabama coast. Publix Super Markets Charities and Walmart have committed a combined $1.5 million, with relief partners providing hot meals, water, showers and charging stations in impacted communities.
Publix
Publix Super Markets Charities is donating $500,000 to United Way to help fund relief efforts in impacted areas.
“Hurricane Isaias brought disruption and uncertainty to many of the communities we serve,” said John Doran, executive director of Publix Charities. “Supporting them during times of need is an important part of who we are, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to assist through an organization that helps those affected locally.”
Lakeland, Florida-based Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S., operates 1,446 stores in eight Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.
Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committing $1 million in funding and in-kind donations, building on preparations that began before the storm arrived. In-kind donations of bottled water, food and other necessities are supporting The Salvation Army, Convoy of Hope, the University of West Florida, Pensacola State College and Feeding the Gulf Coast, a Feeding America partner food bank serving seven Florida Panhandle counties.
Walmart stores are serving as relief hubs throughout the affected area. Walmart’s Mobile Kitchen, with Tyson Foods, is providing free meals at Pensacola and Milton Supercenters, and Operation BBQ Relief is serving hot meals at Pensacola and Santa Rosa Beach locations, with additional service coordinated in DeFuniak Springs. Mobile showers and laundry are available at the Milton and Pensacola stores through Matthew 25: Ministries, Tide Loads of Hope and Procter & Gamble, while connectivity and device charging services are available in Milton and Gulf Breeze through the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center and Verizon. Services are free while supplies last, with current information posted on local stores’ Facebook pages.
“I’ve seen the incredible teamwork happening across Walmart as we prepared for Hurricane Isaias, and I’m especially grateful for our associates who are managing the storm’s impact on their own lives while continuing to care for our customers and one another,” said Kyle Kinnard, executive VP and COO of Walmart U.S. “Our priority is making sure our associates and customers are safe.”
Ahead of landfall, Walmart and Sam’s Club teams positioned additional inventory of bottled water, nonperishable food and other essentials, prepared generators and coordinated with nonprofits and emergency management officials to keep stores operational or reopen them safely.
The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services teams also deployed mobile canteen units to Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach and Panama City, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama.
This story will be updated as additional grocery retailers announce Hurricane Isaias relief efforts.
Related: Weekly Giving Report Features Market Street, Publix, Aldi, Weis Markets, Food Lion