October 25, 2024
Contact: Judith Cebula
317.916.7327 | cebulaj@lei.org
Grants Will Aid Hurricane Helene, Milton Relief Efforts and Strengthen Capacity to Respond to Future Disasters
INDIANAPOLIS –In the wake of the wide-spread devastation and loss of life caused by hurricanes Helene and Milton, Lilly Endowment Inc. has approved $15 million in disaster relief grants to the American Red Cross ($5 million) and The Salvation Army ($10 million).
These grants will be used at the organizations’ discretion to support their efforts to help residents affected by disasters big and small, including storms and a variety of other crises. The funding may also help the organizations support those affected in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia as they recover from the effects of the hurricanes.
Immediately after the storms, the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army mobilized staff and volunteers to help deliver various forms of aid to residents in affected areas by providing food, water, clothing, emotional support, help in securing temporary housing and other assistance.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton have claimed more than 240 lives in the United States and have caused an estimated $100 billion in damage, according to multiple news services.
On September 26, Hurricane Helene was a category 4 storm when it made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida’s Gulf Coast before cutting a massive and destructive path through six states. Less than two weeks later, on October 9, Hurricane Milton hit the Florida Gulf Coast south of the Tampa-St. Petersburg area as a category 3 storm. It spawned an estimated 150 tornados across Florida.
Both storms caused flooding and widespread power outages while destroying and damaging homes, businesses, and water and communications infrastructures. Storm surges, tornadoes and straight-line winds in Florida caused immediate destruction during both storms. Helene had greater geographical reach, causing extensive flooding as the storm moved north into Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army routinely coordinate with the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency to help residents in disaster areas. Disaster relief grants from the Endowment will help support each organization’s preparation and relief and recovery efforts in affected states as they partner with faith-based and other private sector organizations, individual volunteers and federal, state and local governmental agencies on current and future responses.
For more than 75 years, the Endowment has frequently supported the important efforts of both organizations to respond to disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires, floods and tornadoes. In 2022, the Endowment awarded each organization $40 million to significantly increase its capacity to respond even more promptly and effectively to large-scale disasters.
For more information about the grants please contact:
American Red Cross
media@redcross.org
The Salvation Army
mediarelations@usn.salvationarmy.org
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.