Drew Dixon
Communications giant AT&T is donating $100,000 to relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Milton and is contributing funds to help its employees adversely affected by the storm that slammed Florida Oct. 9 through Oct. 10.
AT&T officials say they are contributing the $100,000 in funds to Volunteer Florida. The agency is a nonprofit, bipartisan group headed by a board of commissioners appointed by Florida’s governor to administer national service programs and natural disaster relief efforts.
“Our hearts go out to the communities affected by Hurricane Milton,” said Joe York, president of AT&T Florida in a news release. “At AT&T we stand alongside you during this difficult time. We have thousands of team members across Milton’s path working to restore services in the communities where we live and work, and we are proud to support and work alongside the Florida disaster fund as they help rebuild.”
Milton first struck Florida’s Gulf Coast on Oct. 9 as a Category 3 hurricane. It raked Florida’s west coast from Southwest Florida up to the Tampa area and only two weeks after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the same area. Then the storm plowed through the interior of the state exiting into the Atlantic Ocean Oct. 10 after trouncing the Space and Treasure coasts as well as hammering parts of the First Coast in Northeast Florida. About a dozen deaths in Florida have been attributed to Milton.
While AT&T is helping with financial support for relief efforts for all Floridians, the company is also helping its own employees by kicking in funds to that end. AT&T has activated its nonprofit “Employee Relief Fund.” The fund provides assistance to AT&T workers who live in the areas of natural disasters and assists them in recovery. AT&T provides 100% matching funds to anyone who contributes to the Employee Relief Fund.
Also, AT&T deployed its “Mobile Connectivity Center” to Florida which was setting up in the state Sunday. The center provides an air-conditioned communications environment so those impacted by a natural disaster can access laptops, energy charging stations and WiFi connectivity among other communications services. One of the main priorities of the center is to help victims of disasters apply for relief funding and support.
“We are fully committed to aiding the response and recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton. We 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,” a company news release said.
