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Sustaining students with food post-Helene

An organization known for job training, education, and food preparation is combining its strengths to nourish students at a school in Augusta’s Olde Town neighborhood. Helms College, part of Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA, is providing meals to students at Heritage Academy. Haley Wesley, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Brand Advancement, told ABD it is a win-win partnership for the college and the school. “These are our Helms College culinary students preparing these meals, being supervised by our faculty, who are chefs. It also was such

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B2B Stories

Bringing help directly to South Carolina residents

Staff from more than 22 agencies set up in the USC-Aiken Convocation Center to help walk residents harmed by Hurricane Helene through what assistance is available. Representatives from state agencies including the South Carolina Departments of Health and Human Services, Insurance, Motor Vehicles, and Public Health were joined by FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) from the federal government. It began as an initiative following a series of destructive floods the Palmetto State experienced beginning in 2015. “Governor McMaster continued it with several hurricanes,” Brooke Bailey, Director of Strategic

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B2B Stories

Columbia County businesses working on Hurricane Helene recovery

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is checking in with businesses across the county to gauge their needs in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation. Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Chamber, told ABD he and his staff split up contact information in their database and have been calling to get updates from businesses, large and small. “The big thing is just making sure that our business community has the resources they need, letting them know that we’re here to support them through this, whether that be resources with

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B2B Stories

Two years before a popular CSRA event venue is available

The Savannah Rapids Pavilion has hosted Chamber of Commerce meetings and has been a popular choice for weddings and other events. Because of damage from Hurricane Helene, many of those events will be postponed for quite a while. A planned $8 million had been set aside for renovation. Now, that will have to be revisited based on damage to the facility from Hurricane Helene. Officials in Columbia County have been briefed on the extent of damage done to the 25,000-square-foot Savannah Rapids Pavilion conference center. Sitting high atop an 80-foot

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B2B Stories

Helping Hurricane Helene victims recover

Small businesses and individuals in need of financial assistance can now meet in person with federal agencies. The Small Business Administration (SBA) and FEMA have set up locations to assist people in storm-impacted counties in Georgia and South Carolina. The centers have been set up to facilitate applications for federal monies available for small businesses and individuals. One of the centers is available at The Hub for Community Innovation at 631 Chafee St. in Augusta. A news release from Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff said staff at the FEMA Disaster Recovery

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B2B Stories

Business leaders/volunteers find a hub to combat Helene

An eight-day herculean effort by area volunteers from service organizations like the American Red Cross to the Chamber of Commerce came to an exhausting end late last week. Members of the Leadership Augusta Class of 2025 showed up on Thursday, October 10th, in lieu of a regularly scheduled activity. Sponsored by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, each month members set aside one day to immerse themselves in myriad opportunities to learn how the community works. The 2025 class is chaired by Al Dallas (far right) of the Georgia Cancer

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Consumer Stories

CSRA garnering international attention for storm recovery

One of the State of Israel’s top officials in the southeast spent Wednesday in the CSRA, visiting storm-damaged areas and distributing supplies. Anat Sultan-Dadon, the Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States began the day in North Augusta. “We have been in touch with the authorities and the elected officials and decided to come to one of the locations where it matters to be on the ground,” she explained to ABD. Sultan-Dadon was joined by elected leaders from North Augusta, South Carolina state government, Columbia County, and Georgia

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Shawna Woodward

Real Talk Real Estate: Next Steps After Storm Damage: How to Restore or Sell with Help from Homeowners Insurance

As I sit here today, overwhelmed with the sound of chainsaws still whirring in the distance and a second storm hitting Florida, thoughts of what will come next burst into my emotions. Many of us are dealing with storm damage to our homes. This can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re faced with the daunting task of excessive repairs or even the possibility of totaling your property. The emotional and financial toll will be significant. However, homeowners’ insurance should be there to help shoulder the burden and guide you through the

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B2B Stories

Hurricane destruction highlights need for tort reform

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has wrapped up a series of roundtable discussions collecting information on the need for tort reform in the state. The final session was held at Waffle House headquarters in Norcross, Ga, and was attended by elected officials and business leaders from 12 companies across the state. ABD sat in on the session virtually. In his welcoming remarks, Joe Rogers III, CEO of Waffle House, said Georgia has reached a crisis point in the civil litigation, one that will likely be impacted by the devastation from

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B2B Stories

Helene’s impact on large businesses in Richmond County

While small businesses across Richmond County are fighting their way back from Hurricane Helene, the county’s largest businesses are assessing their situation. “Most of our industries, from what I can tell, were spared,” Cal Wray, President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA) told ABD. “Several of the larger ones were without power for four or five days. The last big one that I knew that came back online was last Wednesday. Think most of our manufacturing is back up and running.” A number of the largest employers are in

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