Funds will be used to prepare, respond and restore in impacted communities

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As Hurricane Helene travels toward the Florida panhandle, Truist Foundation today announced it will donate $500,000 to support relief and recovery efforts in communities impacted by the storm. The funds will be distributed to the American Red Cross and World Central Kitchen for immediate relief efforts as well as Center for Disaster Philanthropy's Atlantic Hurricane Season Fund for long-term recovery efforts.

"Our hearts go out to our teammates, clients and communities in the path of Hurricane Helene, which is expected to make landfall as the strongest storm yet this hurricane season," said Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. "The importance of Truist's purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities is never clearer than when disaster strikes. Truist Foundation is dedicated to ensuring communities have the critical resources needed to prepare, respond and restore as quickly as possible."

The selected organizations will use their grant funds to identify and deliver the most essential immediate community needs such as access to food, shelter and medical services. A portion of the donation will be focused on medium- and long-term recovery informed by disaster experts in partnership with those in the affected communities. Restoration efforts may address needs such as rebuilding homes, providing mental health, legal and disaster case management services, and other urgent challenges identified as recovery efforts progress.

Additionally, earlier this year, Truist Foundation donated $1 million to the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, designed to deploy assistance quickly to communities impacted by events such as Hurricane Helene. Those funds help provide food, shelter, emotional support, comfort kits and other immediate relief supplies to thousands of families and individuals impacted by such disasters.

About Truist Foundation

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. The foundation, an endowed private foundation established in 2020 whose operating budget is independent of Truist Financial Corporation, makes strategic investments in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations centered around two focus areas: building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses to ensure all communities have an equal opportunity to thrive. Embodying these focus areas are the foundation's leading initiatives — the Inspire Awards and Where It Starts. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation.

SOURCE Truist Foundation