The Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation has entered a partnership with the Southern Smoke Foundation, a national nonprofit founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd that helps food and beverage workers in crisis by providing emergency relief funds and access to no-cost mental health services. The partnership launched in July with a $25,000 gift by the Food + Wine Foundation to Southern Smoke. “Individual financial emergency support is crucial for workers in an industry who often find themselves without a safety net,” Russell Kirkpatrick, the Fort Worth foundation’s co-founder, said. The foundation started its emergency relief fund during COVID-19. “Now, nearly four years later, the foundation has realized the need continues for ongoing emergency response and so much more.”