AT&T is contributing $25,000 to Second Harvest of South Georgia, the leading hunger-relief organization in the region and the second largest food bank in the state. Second Harvest serves more than 450 partner agencies in the 30 county South Georgia footprint. This contribution will enable Second Harvest to enhance its support in responding to the catastrophic destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Michael.

"With disasters, communities need both immediate response and sustained recovery,” said Venessa Harrison, president of AT&T Georgia. “AT&T is proud to have the opportunity to help Second Harvest expand relief efforts in South Georgia, providing enhanced and sustained support to those impacted by Hurricane Michael.”

Second Harvest staff are authorized disaster relief workers, trained to identify and respond to the unique needs of those affected. In the first three weeks after the storm, the food bank distributed 682,352 bottles of water, 181,440 bags of ice, 304,076 MREs/snack meal packs, 7,588,587 snacks, 58,381 hot meals, and 12,380 emergency pantry boxes. Though the storm has long since passed, the recovery efforts are ongoing.

“Disasters are not one-day events,” said Eliza McCall, Second Harvest Chief Marketing Officer. “While the national attention has faded, our communities are still living with the damage. AT&T’s generous gift is key to our continued efforts to help these families get back on their feet.”

At AT&T, our first priority is keeping our customers connected, including FirstNet subscribers. We know how critical communications are, every day and especially during times of disaster. We are proud to deliver for the men and women that are working to help those in need across impacted communities.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, the men and women of AT&T deployed immediately to support first responders and ensure residents and businesses could stay connected. Charging stations were also deployed to retail locations across impacted areas to help keep those impacted stay connected to news reports and family as power was restored.

AT&T continues to work closely with federal, state and local leaders as well as community organizations like Second Harvest to respond to needs.