New $100,000 matching grant boosts Town of Palm Beach United Way Hurricane Ian relief fund

The Town of Palm Beach United Way has collected more than $200,000 to help victims of Hurricane Ian, the vicious Category 4 storm that devastated Southwest Florida and other parts of the state in late September.

And to help boost fundraising efforts, the organization has garnered a new $100,000 challenge grant from the West Palm Beach-based Cathleen McFarlane Foundation, which will match incoming donations dollar for dollar, United Way officials announced Friday.

“Thousands of families are left homeless and will need short- and long-term supportive services due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian,” said Sunni Johnson, executive director of the foundation, which is named for the late Palm Beach resident, animal-rights activist and philanthropist.

“We are proud to partner with the Town of Palm Beach United Way to help alleviate the suffering of so many families in need.”

Johnson's comments were included in a statement about the new matching grant released by the Town of Palm Beach United Way. The organization established its Hurricane Ian Recovery Fund on Sept. 29, the day after the hurricane struck near Punta Gorda and then swept across the state, causing massive flooding and killing more than 100 people.

In the following days, the organization received matching grants from three Palm Beach couples — $25,000 from Barbara and Richard Rothschild, $50,000 from Susan and Dom Telesco and $25,000 from Norma and Bill Tiefel.

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“The response we’ve seen so far from the Palm Beach community has been amazing,” said Bill Tiefel, board chairman of the Town of Palm Beach United Way, which is a separate group from United Way of Palm Beach County.

“I am extremely thankful for all the donations we have received, and especially grateful to the families who have offered matching gift opportunities. I hope we can keep the momentum going.”

The fund was created to provide cash for short-term relief efforts in Southwest Florida. A total of $100,000 already has been distributed evenly to Americares, Global Empowerment Mission, Project HOPE and World Central Kitchen.

The Town of Palm Beach United Way is in the process of identifying additional organizations providing direct aid to residents in the hardest hit areas of Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties, Tiefel said in Friday’s statement.

Americares sent emergency-response teams to Southwest Florida to help restore access to health services for survivors in the hardest-hit areas. The charitable group is providing medicines, supplies and emergency funding to help repair damaged health facilities.

Americares also can deploy mobile medical teams to provide primary-care services, according to the organization.

“This grant will allow us to continue to provide shipments of urgently needed medicines, relief supplies and emergency funding to support clinics and survivors” of the hurricane, said Americares U.S. Director of Emergency Response Mariel Fonteyn.

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Global Empowerment Mission, Project HOPE and World Central Kitchen, meanwhile, are providing food, water, health care, medicines, clothing, hygiene kits, baby-care supplies and other emergency aid items to tens of thousands of residents along Florida’s Gulf Coast, according to the United Way.

Harley Jones, Project HOPE’s senior manager of domestic response, said the storm devastated areas where many people were already struggling economically.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing that marginalized populations have been hit hardest by Hurricane Ian — it’s the communities of color, people living in poverty,” Jones said. “Project HOPE works to fill those gaps and ensure that we are prioritizing their health and medical needs as we continue down a long road to recovery.”

People can make donations can be made by visiting PalmBeachUnitedWay.org, calling 561-655-1919 or mailing a check — payable to Town of Palm Beach United Way with “Hurricane Ian” written in the memo portion — to 44 Cocoanut Row, Suite M201, Palm Beach, FL 33480.

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Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly “Beyond the Hedges” column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email dhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call (561) 820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: $100,000 matching grant boosts Palm Beach-based Hurricane Ian relief