AT&T donates $300,000 to support communities affected by Hurricane Helene

AT&T is also supporting its employees affected by the disaster and is matching 100% of employee relief contributions to select organizations

Key Takeaways:

• AT&T is contributing $300,000 to assist communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. This support will be directed to various organizations across the affected states, including:
  • Florida: Florida Disaster Fund ($50,000)
  • Georgia: Second Harvest of South Georgia ($25,000) and Golden Harvest Food Bank ($25,000)
  • North Carolina: NC Disaster Relief Fund – United Way of North Carolina ($100,000)
  • South Carolina: One SC Fund – Central Carolina Community Foundation ($50,000)
  • Tennessee: United Way of East Tennessee Highlands ($50,000)

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, AT&T’s heart goes out to the affected communities,” said Venessa Harrison, President – Southeast Coastal States, AT&T. “We have thousands of team members across Helene’s path working to restore services in the communities where we live and work, and we are proud to support and work alongside these community organizations as they help rebuild.”

In addition to these contributions, AT&T has activated its Employee Relief Fund (ERF), a 501c3 public charity aimed at supporting its employees facing significant personal hardships. This fund helps employees meet essential needs such as food, clothing shelter, or other necessities.

Furthermore, AT&T has launched an employee matching gift program, matching 100% of employee charitable contributions to The Red Cross, SBP (formerly the St. Bernard Project), and the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center.

AT&T has also deployed its Mobile Connectivity Center (MCC), to the Sam’s Club located at 645 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28806. The MCC is an air-conditioned mobile unit open to the public, equipped with laptops, charging stations, and Wi-Fi. The public can use the MCC for various needs such as contacting their insurance company, filling out paperwork, or connecting with loved ones. Earlier this week, the MCC was deployed to Steinhatchee, FL, to assist the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office. This is the second disaster this season where the MCC has supported communities in need.

We are fully committed to aiding the response and recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The unprecedented destruction and flooding have mobilized our Emergency Operations Center to provide round-the-clock support to all AT&T teams, ensuring they have the resources they need to restore vital connectivity to the affected areas.

Our teams are also in continuous coordination with federal, state, and local authorities, and we are grateful for the swift assistance they are offering to aid our restoration efforts. We continue to prioritize public safety’s communications needs with FirstNet®, the nation’s public safety network. The FirstNet Response Operations Group™ (ROG) is on the ground, having responded to more than 170 requests to support emergency communications. While the recovery process will be lengthy in some areas, we are focusing on areas we can access immediately to restore connectivity as quickly as possible. However, severely damaged areas will require additional time for repairs.

We will work diligently and safely to re-establish critical communication services and provide additional network status updates until service is restored to all areas.