Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the devastating tornado that hit North Minneapolis on May 22. Comcast and our local employees worked around the clock to restore communication services to impacted customers across Minneapolis after the storm, but we wanted to do more.

Yesterday, Minnesota State Representative Bobby Joe Champion, Minneapolis Council Member Don Samuels and executives from The Minneapolis Foundation attended a ceremony where Mary Beth Schubert, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Comcast Twin Cities, announced a contribution of $50,000 in cash and in-kind to support tornado relief efforts. A cash donation of $30,000 from the Comcast Foundation will go directly to The Minneapolis Foundation to assist with family and community needs. Comcast will also provide at least $20,000 in public service announcement support to help raise awareness of on-going relief efforts.

The Comcast Foundation contribution will be used to help fund two specific relief efforts:

  • Minneapolis Helps — North Minneapolis Recovery Fund is a $200,000 matching fund established by the Minneapolis Foundation to help cover basic needs such as food and shelter for families displaced when homes were damaged and destroyed by the May tornado.
  • The Northside Home Fund will focus on long-term funding to help rebuild clusters of homes in neighborhoods already hit hard by foreclosures and neglect during the recent economic downturn. For these North Minneapolis neighborhoods, damage caused by the tornado is a heartbreaking setback; however, it is also an opportunity for the community to redouble its support for building programs currently underway.

During the event, Ms. Schubert said, "Comcast is pleased to support the North Minneapolis relief efforts and to lend a helping hand to families and businesses affected by the destructive storm. We are grateful to The Minneapolis Foundation for creating a structure that enables organizations like Comcast to deliver funding and support to those in need."

Comcast employs more than 1,800 people in the Twin Cities and is fortunate to have people who demonstrate a strong commitment to volunteering out of a sense of caring for those in need. In addition to the cash and in-kind contributions, Comcast employees are participating in clean-up, relief and rebuilding efforts throughout the city, as well as donating critical household supplies to those in need.

We are committed to the rebuilding efforts in North Minneapolis and keep everyone impacted by these tragic events in our thoughts.