Beverage companies provide relief to hurricane-impacted regions

Alcohol, non-alcohol corporations send water, donate money

Unfortunately, this hurricane season in the United States has seen tropical cyclones wreak havoc on its Atlantic coasts. In September, the Carolinas as well as neighboring states were heavily impacted by the rain waters from Hurricane Florence. Then in early October, the Florida Panhandle saw Hurricane Michael make landfall, bringing destruction to this region as well as neighboring states.

Many have responded to this devastation by donating money, supplies, time and much more. The beverage industry is no exception. The Coca-Cola Co. and its philanthropic arm, The Coca-Cola Foundation, pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross to help provide immediate resources for food and shelter, and to aid in long-term rebuilding efforts across the Carolinas.

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated also donated more than 100,000 bottles of water and other beverages to the American Red Cross and other local community organizations to support relief shelters and emergency response efforts, the company states. Members of the bottling organization also helped assemble and donate thousands of emergency relief kits to support relief efforts, it adds.

The Coca-Cola Foundation pledged another $1 million to the American Red Cross to provide immediate resources for emergency food and shelter across the Florida Panhandle and the Southeastern United States.

The philanthropic arm local bottling partner, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United, have donated more than 70,000 bottles of water to date to the American Red Cross and other local community organizations to support emergency response efforts throughout the region.

The Coca-Cola Co. also is matching its employees’ contributions to the Coca-Cola Employee Disaster Relief Fund up to $100,000. This fund provides disaster relief and rebuilding funds to Coca-Cola system employees who were impacted by Hurricane Michael.

PepsiCo Inc. also is responding to the call for action. Its PepsiCo Foundation donated $1 million in grants to relief agencies and 350,000 meals to communities affected by hurricanes. The philanthropic arm gave two $500,000 grants to the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army, respectively, it says.

Those in the beer industry also took an active role in aiding those impacted by hurricanes. Prior to Hurricane Florence making landfall, Anheuser-Busch announced it would send six truckloads (more than 300,000 cans) of emergency canned drinking water to communities in the Carolinas and Virginia as the states prepped for relief efforts.

The emergency drinking water was sent to Anheuser-Busch wholesaler partners Carolina Eagle, KW Beverage and R.A. Jeffreys, which worked with the American Red Cross, the South Carolina National Guard and other local partners to distribute the water to those in need, the company states.

USA Today also reported that MillerCoors sent 200,000 cans of water to regions impacted by Hurricane Florence. MillerCoors sent cans from its Shenandoah, Va., brewery to the American Red Cross and community shelters, the newspaper stated.

Although recovery efforts still have a way to go, it’s heartwarming to see the beverage community help those in need.

Jessica Jacobsen, editor of Beverage Industry, visits a range of beverage companies for cover stories and facility tours, represents the magazine at trade shows and industry events, and works with the Beverage Industry team to determine the content and direction of the magazine and its online components. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Marquette University.

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The Non-Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at Beverage Marketing Corporation detail how established categories ― like carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, fruit beverages ― and emerging beverage segments ― such as plant milks, ready-to-drink coffees and teas ― are navigating these shifts.

This important industry event is a learning and information sharing experience for warehousing, distribution and fleet management professionals who will have the opportunity to continue to share ideas and network with their industry peers in a safe and productive format as we continue to navigate these challenging times.