With the southeastern United States in the midst of a brutal hurricane season, Stillhouse whiskey is looking to help residents of storm-prone areas prepare with window shutters inspired by its own packaging material.
The Bacardi-owned brand is partnering with disaster relief nonprofit SBP to provide 400 metal shutter panels to homes across Florida’s panhandle. The company said the protective materials were modeled after the stainless steel cans it uses as containers instead of conventional glass bottles.
Stillhouse announced the initiative with a two-minute video that featured the stories of real hurricane survivors. The project is specifically focused on Bay County, Fla., which was hit particularly hard by Hurricane Michael last October and rebuilt thanks in part to $3 million in relief funds from SBP.
“Our brand values resourcefulness and resilience and we are inspired by the strength these families have shown by rebuilding,” Bacardi global marketing vp Jennifer Pisciotta said in a statement. “We’ve partnered with SBP to provide protection to homes in Bay County, FL through their expertise and longstanding commitment in the community. They have worked tirelessly to help vulnerable families rebuild and we are honored to help aid in strengthening their resilient spirit.”
With Hurricane Sally pummeling Florida and Alabama this week, the 2020 hurricane season is expected to be one of the deadliest on record with between 19 and 25 named storms estimated to hit the country’s coastal cities. The Congressional Budget Office projects the annual loss to residents of affected areas to total around $34 billion annually.
