ATLANTA, GA., AUGUST 30, 2023—The global humanitarian organization CARE is responding to Hurricane Idalia by mobilizing its CARE Partner Network in Florida to help address the emergency needs of vulnerable communities. Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm in Florida’s Big Bend, with severe impacts felt along large swaths of the state’s Gulf Coast, including the Tampa Bay area.
With the support of CARE, their partner Feeding Tampa Bay will provide emergency cash assistance to their community members impacted by Idalia who need it most. These funds will help residents pay for things like water, food, basic supplies, and housing. CARE will also support Feeding Tampa Bay’s work to distribute relief supplies in the neighborhoods they serve.
“We know that disasters hit the most vulnerable the hardest – especially women, children, and people of color – which is why we set up the CARE Partner Network in the US. Through established local networks, Feeding Tampa Bay will be able to rapidly provide support,” said Amir Farokhi, Executive Director of CARE’s US Programs.
“Our team and those we serve are so thankful for our partnership with CARE,” said Matt Spence, Chief Programs Officer at Feeding Tampa Bay. “This funding will go directly into the hands of our neighbors who have already experienced hardships and now have been impacted by Hurricane Idalia.”
Moreover, in the coming days and weeks, CARE will seek out additional ways to help in the wake of Idalia, via local partners.
The CARE Partner Network is a US disaster relief partnership between the humanitarian non-profit and several grassroots organizations led by women and/or BIPOC. The goal of this program is to better reach and help underserved communities affected by emergencies, including severe weather events like Hurricane Idalia.
CARE, an organization known for carrying out humanitarian and development programs around the world, established relief programs in the US during the pandemic and has since funded local partners after disasters across the US, including Hurricane Ian in Florida and tornadoes in the Midwest and Kentucky.
To support CARE’s work following Hurricane Idalia click here.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls. Equipped with the proper resources women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. This year, CARE and partners worked in 111 countries implementing 1,600 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects and initiatives, that reached 174,000,000 people. To learn more, visit www.care.org.
About Feeding Tampa Bay
As one of the nation’s top hunger relief organizations, Feeding Tampa Bay is ending hunger by fueling human potential in every family, child and senior across our 10-county region. By leveraging the daily connection around a meal, the organization is evolving its partnerships, programs and services with a goal to break down barriers and create long-term health and capability in the lives of the individuals it serves. Feeding Tampa Bay has continuously evolved its services, doubling its reach to serve nearly 1 million people in our community, and anticipates it will serve more than 85 million meals this year. Feeding Tampa Bay and its community stand together to lift our neighbors, because food makes tomorrow possible. For more information, visit https://feedingtampabay.org/
For more information please contact:
Ashley Shackleford
CARE, Press Officer
Ashley.Shackleford@care.org
Shannon Hannon Oliviero
Feeding Tampa Bay, Public Relations Officer
soliviero@feedingtampabay.org