PANAMA CITY, Fla. — With the 2019 hurricane season underway, communities along the Gulf Coast continue to rebuild after last year’s devastating season. To help families recover from Hurricane Michael, Verizon announced today its Foundation is providing $1 million in support of Habitat for Humanity’s recovery efforts. In addition, more than 20 volunteers from Verizon are on hand helping to raise the walls on the latest home being built in the Panhandle.

“Verizon is committed to the communities where we live and work, and we’re honored to stand side-by-side today with those impacted by Hurricane Michael,” said Ronan Dunne, executive vice president and group CEO of Verizon Consumer. “Recovery and rebuilding will take years, and this grant to Habitat for Humanity to support their critically important work on the ground is just one example of the commitment we’ve made to be there for our customers and the community.”

“I visited Panama City soon after Hurricane Michael passed and witnessed first-hand the devastation it brought about,” said Tami Erwin, executive vice president and group CEO of Verizon Business. “We made a commitment then to stay in the community for the long haul and this is our most recent pledge to support residents and businesses.”

Long after first responders provide immediate relief following a disaster, the need for ongoing support remains critical. Habitat helps affected families rebuild through its long-term recovery efforts.

“With support from partners like Verizon, we can help more families in the Gulf Coast build back stronger and make a lasting difference in their communities,” said Julie Laird Davis, vice president for corporate and cause marketing at Habitat. “It’s more important than ever that families know they are not alone as they rebuild.”

Verizon often talks about how it runs to a crisis, and following Hurricane Michael the organization has committed more than $25 million to its network in the Panhandle and more than $2 million in grants to organizations like Habitat for Humanity. This helps impacted communities recover and rebuild. Verizon also invested in additional mobile network assets with satellite connections that can be deployed anywhere a natural disaster strikes. Learn more about the organization’s disaster response efforts at /about/news/emergency-resource-center.

Habitat has been helping communities in the U.S. and around the world recover from disasters for more than 20 years. Every disaster leaves a unique path of destruction, and Habitat’s recovery work varies based on the impact and available resources. Learn more at habitat.org/disaster.