Community Service Spotlight: Hurricane Relief
NATIONAL REPORT — The combined devastation from Hurricanes Helene and Milton affected wide swaths of the population from Florida to Virginia, with some towns even entirely wiped off the map.
With so many in need and a quick turnaround time required, numerous convenience store retailers, fuel operators and other related businesses stepped up and donated to organizations working on the ground to help their communities rebuild.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 and traveled north across Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. Hurricane Milton made landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast on Oct. 9.
Chevron Corp.
Chevron Corp. donated $250,000 to support relief and recovery efforts in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Milton. The funds will provide support for emergency teams and volunteer efforts.
The Fuel Relief Fund received $100,000 to support relief efforts throughout the impacted region, while Team Rubicon received an equal amount to aid emergency response teams. Volunteer Florida received $50,000 to support volunteer mobilization and recovery efforts.
Chevron has also donated 8,500 gallons of fuel in-kind, direct from its Panama City Terminal. The fuel was distributed to first responders in the impacted areas.
The company had previously donated $250,000 to the same organizations to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in the Southeast.
Chevron also committed to matching qualifying donations employees and retirees make to hurricane relief efforts and will provide financial contributions to organizations where its employees volunteer.
CITGO Petroleum Corp.
CITGO Petroleum Corp. committed $100,000 toward disaster relief efforts in North Carolina and Florida, splitting the donation evenly between World Central Kitchen (WCK) and SBP. The funds will be used to assist in recovery operations, including for immediate necessities such as food and water, as well as long-term recovery efforts.
In addition to financial contributions, CITGO also worked to provide fuel in western North Carolina to support relief efforts, ensuring essential supplies and aid could reach communities in need.
"Words cannot express the suffering caused by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton just two weeks later, as the devastation in these areas is overwhelming," said CITGO President and CEO Carlos Jordá. "These relief organizations and volunteers on the ground need our support, as they are working day and night to help those dealing with the aftermath of two powerful storms. We are committed to supporting the recovery of these communities."
WCK is operating in four states — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee — to provide food and water. The CITGO funds were earmarked specifically for North Carolina.
SBP deployed response teams to the Central West District of Florida, a nine-county region around Tampa, to provide services such as debris removal, roof tarping and mold suppression for homes affected by the hurricanes. Additionally, SBP is operating its Disaster Assistance Program (DAP) to help survivors navigate FEMA's application and appeals processes, aiming to increase their award dollars to secure long-term recovery resources.
RaceTrac Inc.
To support Florida residents impacted by Hurricanes Milton and Helene, RaceTrac Inc. donated more than $175,000 in aid and essential supplies to various charities across the state, including a $100,000 contribution to the Florida Disaster Fund.
The latter funds will be used to help the hardest-hit communities recover by offering both immediate relief and long-term support through financial aid to local service organizations.
Additionally, RaceTrac provided 20 pallets of bottled water to Feeding Tampa Bay Food Bank and partnered with the Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs to donate both $25,000 and bottled water. The clubs often acted as emergency shelters and aid distribution hubs for families displaced by the hurricanes.
The c-store operator also contributed $25,000 to both the Hillsborough Education Foundation and the Pinellas County Schools Education Foundation, which are both raising funds for teachers and students who lost classroom supplies or experienced severe damage to their schools.
Though RaceTrac offers free coffee and fountain drinks to first responders year round, the offer was extended to utility crews working to restore power to millions of homes and businesses across Florida after Milton.
Wawa Inc.
Wawa Inc. and The Wawa Foundation partnered with the American Red Cross to launch a chainwide, in-store crisis campaign designed to provide emergency relief assistance to those communities most affected by Hurricane Milton.
“All of us at Wawa are committed to helping our Florida friends and neighbors during this time of need. Wawa has been in Florida for more than ten years now and, as a member of this community, we are taking a number of steps to help with storm recovery efforts,” said Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens.
The campaign allows customers to contribute to relief efforts by adding $1, $3 or $5 to their Wawa purchase at checkout. The Wawa Foundation will match the first $100,000 in customer contributions to the campaign.
All funds will be donated to the Red Cross and will be designated specifically for Hurricane Milton relief efforts, providing immediate support to those communities suffering from the effects of Hurricane Milton. Customers may also donate directly to those efforts via the Red Cross website.
Wawa additionally donated $500,000 to the Florida Disaster Fund.