The American Land Title Association (ALTA) Good Deeds Foundation, the registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded by ALTA, has awarded a total of $21,000 in emergency grants following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The ALTA Good Deeds Foundation matched funds from a campaign it held during ALTA ONE, ALTA’s largest annual event, to benefit charities assisting local communities in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
ALTA ONE was held in Orlando, Fla., immediately following Hurricane Milton in October, and the Foundation Board wanted to further support the event’s host city.
The Foundation granted $7,500 each to the Florida Disaster Fund and Metropolitan Ministries. As the second-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., on Oct. 9. The Florida Disaster Fund is Florida’s official private fund established to assist the state’s neighborhoods as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. Metropolitan Ministries is helping to fill the gaps while communities are in the process of disaster recovery, including providing hot or bagged meals, clothing and hygiene items, as well as financial or housing assistance.
The Foundation also granted $6,000 to the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, N.C., following Hurricane Helene. Hurricane Helene swept ashore Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a path of destruction as it moved northward from Florida, through Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County is working with the Buncombe County government and emergency operations center to support volunteer mobilization and ensure the region has the most up-to-date resources for those seeking information and assistance.
The ALTA Good Deeds Foundation Board awarded the emergency grants to support these areas with basic needs, such as food, drinkable water, clothing, housing and anything else needed at this time.
“The impact of these two powerful storms on the lives of so many is heartbreaking,” said ALTA CEO Diane Tomb in a release. “Being in Orlando just after Hurricane Milton struck, it was clear how profoundly these communities were affected. We hope these emergency grants from the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation offer some immediate support, and our hearts are with everyone as they work to rebuild.”
“We’re standing with the neighborhoods affected by these historic hurricanes, especially those enduring significant losses,” said Foundation Board Chair Mary O’Donnell, president and CEO of Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. in Maitland, Fla. “The generous contributions of ALTA members enable us to make a meaningful impact and offer vital assistance to help these communities rebuild.”
Since October 2020, the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation has awarded $1,122,000 in grants to 192 local nonprofits across the United States.