Enterprise Donates $250K Toward Disaster Response in U.S., Haiti

The Enterprise Holdings Foundation is supporting post-Hurricane Matthew disaster relief and recovery efforts in the United States and Haiti.

In the U.S., the Foundation is donating $150,000 to the American Red Cross to help with clean-up efforts in the Southeast.

The donation will be used to supply household clean-up kits to local residents so that they may begin cleaning and sanitizing areas affected by flood waters, according to the foundation. These kits contain such items as mops, brooms, squeegees, pails, scrub brushes and sponges, plus disinfectants, detergents/degreasers, bleach, trash bags, gloves, and dust masks.

In addition, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation is donating $100,000 to Americares in Haiti to support basic health care for survivors. Americares will use the funds to provide intravenous fluids to treat cholera and medical supplies to treat storm-related injuries in Haiti.

“After a major natural catastrophe, there’s always a need to support disaster relief teams as they lead clean-up efforts and medical-care initiatives,” said Carolyn Kindle Betz, vice president and executive director of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation. “However, this hurricane’s path of destruction was particularly extensive, which means many towns and cities were significantly affected. Our hope is that these contributions will help speed the recovery process along the East Coast and in Haiti.”

The Enterprise Foundation is also part of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). The Foundation donates $1 million annually to the ADGP, which enables the Red Cross to immediately respond during hurricanes, floods and other disasters by positioning emergency supplies in strategic locations ahead of time.

To help meet the transportation needs of residents and first responders, Enterprise Rent-A-Car began working with the insurance industry and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) personnel. Enterprise deployed vehicles from nearby states and also re-allocated thousands of brand-new models, resulting in more than 24,000 additional rental vehicles in affected portions of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Enterprise also has dropped one-way fees for FEMA employees to further support their efforts.

“Enterprise, National, and Alamo employees always rise to the occasion in situations like these,” said Kindle Betz, granddaughter of the late Jack Taylor, who founded Enterprise Holdings in 1957. “The Taylor family couldn’t be more proud of their round-the-clock work to deliver ground transportation in local neighborhoods and at the airport. So it is truly an honor for the Foundation to be able to complement their efforts with philanthropic donations that help make a difference.”