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 14 th 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 .