“No one’s going to choose passing up a shift over therapy,” says Catarina Bill, Southern Smoke’s director of philanthropy and programs, of making sure telehealth sessions are always available. “By removing barriers, we have a higher retention rate.”
“While mental illness affects one in five U.S. adults, service employees have several factors—including late hours and low wages—that can exacerbate issues. Luckily, some nonprofits are ready to step in.”
“We have barely touched the tip of the iceberg. I won’t be successful until Southern Smoke isn’t needed, and honestly I don’t see that happening anytime soon. ”
“Southern Smoke is there to help people in their hard times.”
“We started the emergency relief fund because we were worried about people not living paycheck to paycheck but living shift to shift,” says Lott. “We deal a lot with multigenerational homes, and if someone misses a shift, it could mean their elderly parents don’t have access to their medications, or their kids don’t get the shoes they need to go to school. We see landlords take advantage when people are really down, especially if English isn’t their first language, and we want to make sure that families who are in a vulnerable spot don’t end up in more danger.”
“Simply put, Houston has never experienced a food event like the Southern Smoke Festival. It’s something people will be talking about for a long time.”