FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kerri Forrest, Director – Lowcountry Program
(843) 277-2041; kforrest@gddf.org

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation awards $25,000 to assist with disaster recovery efforts in Horry County

December 17, 2018 (CHICAGO)  – The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (GDDF) has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Waccamaw Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund to support recovery efforts in Conway, Socastee, and Loris, in Horry County, areas devastated by flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Waccamaw Community Foundation, in addition to disaster relief and recovery efforts, works with donors to provide scholarships to students and grants to nonprofits in Horry & Georgetown counties and beyond.

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation supports land conservation, artistic vitality, and regional collections for the people of the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The Foundation makes grants across nine coastal counties in South Carolina and funds more than a dozen non-profit organizations operating on the North Coast.

“As a place-based funder, the Foundation wants to provide immediate help in our communities as they continue to rebuild their lives,” said David Farren, GDDF’s Executive Director. “Although the immediate danger has passed, the road to recovery will be long for many families in Horry County. Supporting the recovery efforts now helps those families resume their normal lives as soon as possible.”

Farren continued, “As our communities rebuild, we are reminded that natural events such as Hurricane Florence are becoming the new normal. The Lowcountry has been impacted by a significant rain event every year since 2015. Not only is it important to help families stabilize now, but it is critical that our communities look at long term plans to address the challenges ahead.”

“We are encouraged by efforts such as The Nature Conservancy’s North Coast Community Resilience Project in Horry and Georgetown Counties which brings local citizens, local governments, and land conservation organizations together to both address immediate flooding concerns and find long term nature-based solutions. This is just one of the toolbox of solutions our region will need to implement in order to improve our resiliency in an increasingly challenging climate.”

According to FEMA, over 16,000 households have filed claims in South Carolina, over half from Horry County. The estimated repair cost is $1.5 million over the next 3 months to purchase materials, and more than $5 million over the longer term. Federal recovery funds could take years to reach those communities.

**********************************************************************************************************************

The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation supports land conservation, artistic vitality and regional collections for the people of the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. For more information, visit gddf.org.