Molina Healthcare donates $300,000 for Hurricane Ian relief

Local muralist Candy Miller, left, embraces Ana Kapel, the manager of the Pier Peddler, a gift shop that sold women's fashions, as she becomes emotional at the site of what used to be the store on the island of Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, as a Category 4 hurricane on the southwest coast of Florida. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Molina Healthcare of Florida is donating $300,000 to Hurricane Ian relief efforts via the MolinaCares Accord nonprofit.

The funding will be distributed among the Florida Disaster Fund, Farm Share, Harry Chapin Food Bank and Latino Leadership.

“Our hearts go out to all Floridians displaced or affected by Hurricane Ian’s catastrophic damage on our state,” Mike Jones, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Florida, said in a statement. “Molina is supporting its longstanding Florida non-profit partners by boosting their capacity to deliver food, water and other resources desperately needed during this critical recovery period.”

The Florida Disaster Fund, activated by First Lady Casey DeSantis on Friday, is Florida’s official private fund established to assist communities as they respond and recover during times of emergency or disaster. The Florida Disaster Fund has raised $12 million within the first 24 hours of its activation.

Farm Share is Florida’s largest independent food bank and has been serving the state’s food insecure communities for over 30 years. Farm Share, in conjunction with the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC), local governments, partner agencies and food pantries, is currently working to deliver and distribute life-sustaining resources to affected communities.

Harry Chapin Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief nonprofit and the only Feeding America member in Southwest Florida, serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties, which were hit the hardest by the hurricane.

Latino Leadership is dedicated to the advancement of Florida’s Latino community through resources designed to improve their quality of life.

The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform established to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful programs and solutions that improve health, life and living in local communities.

Ian made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Fort Myers at near-Category 5 strength, bringing with it torrential rain, tornadoes and massive storm surges that flooded a large swath of the Gulf Shore.

Search and rescue efforts are now underway.