Fort Smith Visitor Center Launches Disaster Relief Fund for Hospitality Workers

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The Fort Smith Visitor Center is working to establish a disaster relief fund to help local restaurant, hotel, and other hospitality workers stay afloat when emergencies like fires or other crises force their workplaces to close. Inspired by the 2024 Bricktown Brewery fire, the center is seeking nonprofit status, building a board, and using an early donation from Tankersley Foods to fully launch the fund by fall 2026.

Why it matters

Hospitality workers often live paycheck-to-paycheck, so unexpected workplace closures can be devastating. This new fund aims to provide a safety net for these essential workers when their livelihoods are disrupted through no fault of their own, helping them cover basic expenses until they can return to their jobs.

The details

The Fort Smith Visitor Center is spearheading the creation of a new nonprofit disaster relief fund to support local restaurant, hotel, and other hospitality workers. The fund will provide financial assistance to workers when emergencies like fires, natural disasters, or other crises force their workplaces to temporarily close. The center was inspired to create the fund after the 2024 Bricktown Brewery fire, which left many employees without paychecks for weeks. The center is currently seeking nonprofit status, building a board of directors, and using an early $50,000 donation from Tankersley Foods to fully establish the fund by the fall of 2026.

• The 2024 Bricktown Brewery fire inspired the creation of the disaster relief fund.
• The Fort Smith Visitor Center is aiming to fully establish the nonprofit fund by fall 2026.

What’s next

The Fort Smith Visitor Center is currently seeking nonprofit status and building a board of directors for the new disaster relief fund. They aim to have the fund fully established and ready to provide assistance to hospitality workers by fall 2026.