Disaster Relief Partnerships

Long after the television cameras have gone and we are but a mere faded memory to most outside the Keys, our plight continues. But through our combined efforts we will rebuild paradise.

The Coldwell Banker Schmitt Charitable Foundation’s mission is to assist Monroe County residents faced with an unfortunate, yet temporary, situation whose critical needs are not being met through other means. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma the need has never been greater.

The Ocean Reef community saw this need and, determined to help, partnered with us through the Ocean Reef Community Foundation, the Florida Keys Hurricane Recovery Foundation, and Farm Share. The overwhelming generosity of these organizations, has, thus far, provided more than $800,000 to help the most devastated in our community rebuilding their homes and their lives.

The partnership of these four foundations has created a fast-response process that embraces “situation specific solutions” such as bringing temporary housing to Keys families, making mortgage and/or rent payments, replacing appliances and furniture, or providing transportation assistance. By combining adequate financial resources with a process that quickly and efficiently verifies an individual/family’s needs and identifies the most impactful solutions, we truly make a difference in the lives of individuals and families. As a result, the donations of the Ocean Reef community are directly responsible for helping retain large numbers of our Monroe County workforce that would otherwise have been lost.