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, 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.
