Houston's Southern Smoke Foundation is expanding its presence in South Carolina, thanks to its recent acquisition of a Charleston-based nonprofit.

Founded by James Beard Award winner Chris Shepherd and his wife Lindsey Brown in 2017, the Southern Smoke Foundation provides emergency relief funds and access to mental health services to food and beverage workers nationwide. Last year's Southern Smoke Festival featured more than 60 chefs from across the country and raised $1.8 million.

Now SSF is enhancing that support by acquiring Pay It Forward, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that was founded in March 2020.

At the start of the pandemic, Pay It Forward provided over 11,575 bags of groceries at no cost to restaurant workers over the course of eight weeks. Since then, it has provided financial assistance to more than 200 people in need.

In recognition of its service to the Charleston community, former Mayor John Tecklenburg named March 1 Pay it Forward Day. In October 2023, Pay It Forward executive director Carrie Larson reached out to Southern Smoke to explore opportunities for collaboration.

"We noticed the synergy between our mission and Southern Smoke's," Larson said in a statement. "Now, by joining forces, we have the opportunity to expand our microgrant program nationally and more richly support the Charleston F+B community.”

Pay It Forward alum Taylor Graham will become a Southern Smoke case manager in order to provide local support. Beginning this summer, Southern Smoke will partner with the University of South Carolina to offer access to free mental health counseling to hospitality workers.

“I am delighted that Pay it Forward’s work will live on as part of the Southern Smoke Foundation, which shares our mission and values, and that what we started here will now extend beyond Charleston to the rest of our state and in fact all of the United States," said Michael Shemtov, co-founder and board chair of Pay It Forward Charleston and the founder of Honest to Goodness Hospitality.

“Southern Smoke exists to support the mental and financial health of F+B workers,” added SSF executive director Lindsey Brown. “We are grateful to Carrie and the entire Pay It Forward team for helping us better serve South Carolina.”

To date, Southern Smoke has distributed $74,286 to South Carolina-based residents.

Southern Smoke staff and board members, including Brown and Shepherd, will be in Charleston for this year’s Wine + Food Festival.

For more information about the Southern Smoke Foundation and its services for the hospitality community, visit southernsmoke.org.