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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart and Sam’s Club have long been a part of the communities in Appalachia and the Southeast. As the country takes toll of significant destruction left by Hurricane Helene, Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation are increasing their commitment to $10 million, up from $6 million, to support time-sensitive relief efforts across impacted communities in Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina and Tennessee.
“These aren’t just places where we have stores. These are communities where we work and live, and our hearts are broken for our friends and neighbors,” said John Furner, president and CEO, Walmart U.S. “This is one of the most widespread and destructive storms I’ve seen in my 31 years with Walmart. But I’ve also seen over 31 years that Walmart associates always step up when needed. It's who we are and who we will continue to be. We’ll support people and communities until they’ve recovered.”
Since Hurricane Helene – the 14th most powerful storm in recorded history to hit the United States – made landfall, Walmart has been working around the clock with local leaders and relief organizations to assess needs and quickly deliver critical aid to nearly 100 communities across the area. Essential resources such as charging stations, food and hot meals, water distributions, showers and laundry are available at many store and club parking lots across Appalachia and the Southeast. An updated list of resources available in the affected communities is here.
At Walmart, it is the associates who make the difference. Thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club associates have been serving their customers, members and communities during this difficult time, and many were impacted by the storm themselves. As Walmart and Sam’s Club associates are supporting their communities, the company has been supporting them, connecting with associates to provide evacuation assistance, support pay and essentials like food, showers and laundry, as well as mental health resources.
Taking a stand with Dolly
The company also joined global icon and Tennessee native Dolly Parton at a Walmart Supercenter in an Eastern Tennessee community heavily impacted by the storm. Dolly announced a $1 million donation to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing assistance to Hurricane Helene flood victims. In addition, Dolly’s East Tennessee businesses — Dollywood Parks & Resorts, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, and Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show — as well as The Dollywood Foundation are combining efforts and have pledged to match her donation to Mountain Ways with a $1 million contribution of their own.
“These are special people here; they’re my people,” Dolly explained. “I feel like all people are my people, but everyone here grew up in the mountains just like I did so of course I have a close connection to them. I can’t stand to see anyone hurting, so I wanted to do what I could to help after these terrible floods. I hope we can all be a little bit of light in the world for our friends, our neighbors — even strangers — during this dark time they are experiencing.”
Specific to Eastern Tennessee, the Walmart Foundation is making a grant to the East Tennessee Foundation. Walmart and Sam’s Club have provided water donations to local organizations and resources such as food and hot meals, water distributions, showers and laundry in Walmart parking lots in Newport, Elizabethton and Greeneville.
