Donate to Southern Smoke Foundation
Each month in 2024, we are collecting donations to send to charitable organizations and causes in the US. To donate, select the amount you wish to contribute and add this product to your cart. Acaia will publicly provide proof of donations when they are sent to the organization. Collections for Southern Smoke Foundation will continue through the end of November, 2024. Acaia will also match $50 in donations for this period.
In their own words:
Southern Smoke takes care of our own by putting dollars directly into the pockets of food and beverage workers when it’s needed most. Whether there are unforeseen hardships or mental health needs, our funds and resources help those who put food on the table. No ask is too big or too small. Our organization was started by fellow Food and Beverage workers who’ve felt the heat of this industry firsthand. Injuries strike. Doors close. You never saw it coming. But you’re not out of options, and you’re not alone. We’re here to put dollars in your hand and restore peace to your mind.Â
Over the years, our nonprofit funds have been used to pay for essentials like groceries, clothing, and medications, and have covered the cost of rent, natural disaster damages, lost wages, and more. There’s no deadline for requests and no cap on the amount given. We want anyone to feel comfortable asking for what they need.Â
How We Help:
- Covering necessary costs- According to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, less than 15% of F+B workers had healthcare coverage before the pandemic. Many live shift to shift and have to make impossible choices about paying for housing, groceries, and medical care. We help cover the cost of these essentials, and more.Â
- Addressing mental health- We offer accessibility to mental health services to F+B workers across the country through a university affiliate program providing no-cost counseling to workers and their children in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, New York, and California. Those who live outside of the service states can apply for financial assistance for mental health crises through our Emergency Relief Fund.Â
- Extending aid to family- More than 55% of Southern Smoke grant recipients have at least one minor child at home. One-third have at least two. The majority of these recipients are single parents who receive zero child or marital support, and come to us on behalf to their family to help cover basic costs.Â
- Expanding our expertise- When situations and regulations change, we adapt. Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve tracked eviction moratoriums in every state, acquired knowledge about legal aid organizations, and have become fluent in financial statements. No matter where an applicant lives in America, we can help in some way.
