Pay It Forward: Serving Those Who Serve Us

THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR CHARLESTON FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Pay It Forward Charleston began as a collaboration between farmers, restaurants, and community members who united in an effort to feed food and beverage workers during the COVID-19 crisis. In all, Pay It Forward raised $100,000 and delivered 11,575 bags of groceries to members of the food and beverage community.

With the success of the original provision assistance program and an outpouring of community support, the founding team knew there was an opportunity to do more. Pay It Forward Charleston expanded efforts to include emergency financial relief and from February 2021 until February 2024 the organization provided $150,000 in grants to over 230 people working in F+B.

With a high degree of excitement and a sense of responsibility to those they serve, Pay It Forward was acquired by Southern Smoke Foundation in early 2024. Southern Smoke Foundation is a mission-aligned 501(c)3 providing emergency financial relief and mental health support to industry peers in food and beverage nationwide. Pay It Forward’s staff and board of directors celebrate Southern Smoke’s expanded efforts in South Carolina, which includes serving the same food and beverage professionals who make up Charleston’s robust F+B community and have been at the center of Pay It Forward’s work for the last four years.

Southern Smoke Foundation is here to serve you. From farmers to fry cooks, servers to sommeliers, Southern Smoke takes care of their own by putting dollars directly into the pockets of food and beverage workers when it’s needed most.

Whether there are mental health needs or unforeseen hardships, no ask is too big or too small.