Gulf Coast's Rapid Response Fund was launched to support the community and our partners when a natural disaster impacts our service area. Our staff will work with local organizations following the disaster to gather boots-on-the-ground intelligence which will inform the deployment of these funds to the areas of greatest need as quickly as possible. The needs can and will evolve depending on the circumstances of each disaster. Our promise to you is that your gifts will be used to provide life-sustaining support to those impacted. 

Food and Beverage Workers Impacted

A large portion of our local restaurant industry was impacted by flooding, with many restaurants completely destroyed with an unknown timeline for re-opening. This has severely impacted our communities’ food and beverage industry staff, some who work paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet. We are partnering with Southern Smoke Foundation and deploying support from the Rapid Response Fund to provide immediate bridge funding to those affected.

How to Help

Giving to the Rapid Response Fund means that your gift will support the greatest need during local disasters impacting our region. Current giving into the Rapid Response Fund will support Southern Smoke Foundation and our local food and beverage workers until all immediate needs are met. We will work over the next week to identify additional nonprofits providing life-sustaining support to our neighbors as they recover. Gulf Coast donors are able to make a gift to the Rapid Response Fund through their donor advised fund and all community supporters are able to give through our online credit card form.