Retailers provide support following Hurricanes Helene, Milton
Retailers, including Southeastern Grocers, parent company and home of Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, Dollar General and Publix are supporting their neighbors impacted by the recent hurricanes.
SEG together with the SEG Gives Foundation, is supporting its neighbors and associates as they recover from the recent devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Following Helene, SEG immediately aided communities in need by providing emergency supplies to affected families in areas that experienced major devastation. The grocer activated a mobile food pantry in Madeira Beach to distribute free shelf-stable foods, fresh produce, ice, bottled water and essential cleaning supplies to residents as the neighborhood Winn-Dixie store sustained damage. Additionally, SEG partnered with iHeart Radio stations in Tampa Bay to encourage much-needed donations for area neighbors in the aftermath of Helene.
In the wake of Milton, SEG remains committed to supporting the communities it serves during their greatest time of need and is coordinating community response efforts for heavily impacted areas. To aid those who experienced prolonged power loss, the grocer is providing recovery essentials and $25,000 in gift cards to help families restock their refrigerators and pantries. SEG is holding events this week in Sarasota and St. Petersburg to distribute free ice, bottled water, cleaning supplies and $50 Winn-Dixie gift cards to 500 families.
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Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said, “We have proudly served the Southeast for nearly 100 years, and today, we are in awe of the bravery and resilience of our neighbors in the face of natural disasters. The communities in which we operate are more than where we work; they are filled with our associates’ homes, loved ones and livelihoods. As we recover and rebuild from the wrath of two devastating hurricanes, we are unwavering in our commitment to be the grocer our associates, customers and communities can always count on as we provide hope for brighter days ahead. In these difficult times, we are reminded of the strength that comes from unity—when we stand together, we are truly stronger together.”
SEG also has a long-standing partnership with the American Red Cross, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing and lessening human suffering in the face of emergencies. The grocer recently donated $175,000 to the Red Cross through its in-store community donation program. Every dollar was provided in support of Red Cross Disaster Relief, which provides essential aid to those affected by disasters across the country, including food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance. Earlier this year, SEG also donated water, nonperishable foods and an additional $250,000 to the Red Cross in preparation for an overactive hurricane season. Throughout the partnership, the grocer has donated more than $12.3 million to the organization to aid and support disaster relief efforts.
Following the mass destruction throughout communities in Florida and Georgia, the grocer also is providing assistance to its hard-working associates impacted by the storms. SEG is distributing more than $100,000 to aid hundreds of associates through SEG Cares, the charitable program voluntarily funded by the grocer and its generous associates to assist team members in times of need, including natural disasters. The grocer also has ensured every associate’s well-being through its No Associate Left Behind program, which mobilizes the grocer’s human resources and asset protection teams to diligently contact and account for every single associate in the path of a natural disaster. A testament to SEG’s dedication to its people, the grocer was recently featured on Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces list in recognition of happiness and satisfaction at work, as voted by more than 1.4 million employees at companies nationwide.
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The grocer is assessing its local stores and safely reopen as quickly as possible as locals begin rehabilitation following the impact of these destructive hurricanes. For updates on the grocer’s store operations, please visit here and here.
Dollar General donated an additional $1 million to the American Red Cross to support the response and recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The donation complements the company’s recent partnership extension announcement with the American Red Cross bringing DG’s annual support to more than $1.2 million. To date, Dollar General and its Foundations have contributed more than $2 million through various partnerships and initiatives to disaster relief support in 2024.
“In the wake of the devastating impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we are proud to support the Red Cross’ efforts to help restore hope during this time of recovery and rebuilding,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. “We continue to leverage our vast store and distribution center footprint across the impacted areas in addition to our various non-profit partnerships and initiatives to help our neighbors and communities impacted by the recent storms.”
“The American Red Cross is working around the clock to help people affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene,” said Cliff Holtz, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “In the wake of these damaging and destructive storms, we are thankful for Dollar General’s generosity as we work with partners to deliver essential relief supplies, safe shelter, comfort and hope to impacted communities.”
Dollar General is committed to being Here for What Matters for its employees, customers and neighbors following the impact of natural disasters. The following partnerships and initiatives are examples of how DG and its Foundations are supporting its hometown communities in need:
- American Red Cross: In addition to DG’s annual donation of $250,000 to its Disaster Responder Program to provide safe shelter, hot meals, emotional support and resources to those affected by natural disasters, the company awarded an additional $1 million to hurricane response. DG customers can join relief efforts by donating to the American Red Cross during check-out at any DG store.
- World Central Kitchen’s Rapid Response Field Kitchen, created in partnership with Dollar General, is currently on the ground providing nourishing meals to those affected by the recent hurricanes.
- Feeding America is receiving product donations and volunteers from DG distribution centers and stores to aid its affiliated food banks across Appalachia and the Southeast.
- DG Employee Assistance Foundation is providing financial support to impacted employees.
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s Beyond Words program is accepting applications at www.dgliteracy.org for grants to impacted public school libraries to help them rebuild and restore book collections.
- Kids In Need Foundation’s Second Responder program distributes essential school supplies to students and teachers during the aftermath of a disaster.
Publix Super Markets Charities is donating $1 million to support relief efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Milton.
Publix is also activating a companywide donation campaign so customers and associates can help people affected by the storm. Donations may be made in any amount at checkout. The campaign’s end date will be based on customer response.
The contributions from PSMC and the register campaign will support nonprofit organizations, including the American Red Cross, United Way and the Florida Fund, enabling them to help people recover from this disaster.
“Our thoughts are with the people who have been affected by Hurricane Milton. This destructive storm made its way across Florida as many people were still recovering from Hurricane Helene,” said Publix CEO Kevin Murphy. “I’m grateful to Publix Super Markets Charities for their continued support and donation to help people in one of their greatest times of need. I’m also proud of our over 255,000 associates who continue to show their dedication to caring for our customers, our communities and each other.”