The Patterson Foundation Contributes Half a Million Dollars to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's Hurricane Recovery Fund

SARASOTA, Fla., Oct. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Patterson Foundation provided a $500,000 contribution to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's (CDP) 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund. The contribution designates $250,000 for Hurricane Florence and an additional $250,000 for Hurricane Michael. The gift will strengthen CDP's support for medium- and long-term recovery efforts in the regions affected by Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

Both storms are the most destructive to hit the United States this hurricane season, prompting mandatory evacuations and causing major damage in the affected regions. Hurricane Michael made landfall along Florida's panhandle as a Category 4 hurricane, causing extensive destruction to the Florida panhandle and southwest Georgia. Michael is the strongest storm on record to hit the Florida panhandle and is the third strongest to impact the continental United States. Just weeks prior, Hurricane Florence caused widespread catastrophic flooding across the Carolinas and has continued to displace many residents from their homes. While the immediate crisis-relief need for Hurricane Florence has subsided, disaster-recovery costs are expected to rise as officials continue assessing the damage.

"These storms have brought untold hardships upon the people and communities caught in their respective paths, who now face the arduous process of rebuilding once their safety and immediate needs have been secured," said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. "Years of involvement in the aftermath of disasters worldwide, including a near brush with Hurricane Irma, has informed The Patterson Foundation of the importance of long-term recovery efforts in the months and years following a catastrophic event. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy has displayed time and again the foresight, strategy and expertise to meet these complex challenges and help strengthen these communities for the future."

CDP's 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund is focused on medium- and long-term needs in the impacted regions, like rebuilding homes, infrastructure and businesses while supporting children's well-being, providing mental health services and boosting damaged agriculture sectors.

Since 2012, The Patterson Foundation has contributed more than $3 million to CDP to support efforts for major disasters such as Hurricane Harvey and the Global Refugee Crisis. This latest gift comes after the creation of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund in an effort to catalyze additional donations from other funders monitoring damages caused by the storms.

CDP works to connect donors with insight and information from experts in philanthropy to increase donors' impact throughout the complete lifecycle of domestic and international disasters. Donations for disaster-relief and recovery efforts typically decline following the immediate aftermath of a disaster — leaving several important recovery projects underfunded. The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund will allow donors who are interested in contributing to disaster-relief and recovery efforts to give proactively. This will help ensure a more solidified medium- and long-term response effort.

"The generosity of The Patterson Foundation in support of our work in strengthening recovery and building resilience for those impacted by disasters has been transformative for communities," said Robert G. Ottenhoff, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. "This latest gift is vital to our work in Florida, North Carolina and the Southeast; it is our hope TPF's commitment to investing in recovery efforts inspires other funders to do the same."

To learn more about the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and contribute to its 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund, visit http://www.disasterphilanthropy.org. Please visit http://www.thepattersonfoundation.org for more information on The Patterson Foundation.

About The Patterson Foundation
The Patterson Foundation strengthens the efforts of people, organizations and communities. The Foundation focuses on issues that address common aspirations and foster wide participation, along with ways organizations learn and share as they evolve. For more information, please visit http://www.thepattersonfoundation.org and connect with @ThePattersonFdn on Twitter.

About the Center for Disaster Philanthropy
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy's mission is to transform disaster giving by providing timely and thoughtful strategies to increase donors' impact during domestic and international disasters. For more, please visit: http://www.disasterphilanthropy.org and connect with @funds4disaster on Twitter.

SOURCE The Patterson Foundation