Why Investing in Hospitality Employment Support Strengthens the Entire Industry

By Adam Johnson, CPA, Tax Partner •  Published Aug. 11, 2026 • WebsterRogers LLP

In short: WebsterRogers LLP, a South Carolina accounting and consulting firm, is the first founding member of À La Heart Grand Strand, a new fund that gives Grand Strand hospitality workers up to $2,500 in emergency financial help.

Behind every memorable meal, welcoming hotel stay, or fun family attraction is an often-invisible workforce that makes it all happen.

A cadre of employees dedicated to serving others – dishwashers, cooks, housekeepers, administrative employees, managers, and far more – work behind the scenes to show visitors a good time and keep them coming back. And yet, one unexpected illness, family emergency, or natural disaster can threaten not only their source of income, but their ability to stay in the hospitality industry altogether.

“For business owners, this represents a hospitality workforce challenge that can be addressed by offering financial assistance during a personal or medical crisis,” says Adam Johnson, CPA and WebsterRogers Tax Partner. “It’s more than just the right thing to do – it helps retain workers who drive one of the most important economic engines in the state.”

That commitment is what led WebsterRogers to become the first founding member of À La Heart Grand Strand, the new Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association employee support program.

As a firm that has long served and advocated for South Carolina’s hospitality industry, WebsterRogers was proud to help launch an initiative designed to support the employees who make the Grand Strand’s tourism economy possible. The fund was created to provide up to $2,500 in financial assistance to hospitality employees experiencing unexpected hardships. Whether facing a medical emergency, family crisis, natural disaster or other qualifying event, eligible workers can turn to the fund for short-term support that may help them remain employed and financially stable.

Key Facts About À La Heart Grand Strand

• Program: À La Heart Grand Strand, launched by the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association
• Founding member: WebsterRogers LLP, the first business to join
• Emergency assistance: Up to $2,500 per eligible employee
• Maternity assistance: $500 per eligible employee
• Qualifying hardships: Sudden illness, injury, house fire or flood, funeral expenses and other emergencies
• How to help: Businesses can join as members and individuals can donate through the ‘buy a heart’ campaign

The People Behind the Numbers

Grand Strand – all communities and non-incorporated areas from Conway eastward from Little River to Pawley’s Island – runs on tourism. And it plays a critical role in the statewide economy.

According to research by South Carolina’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, in 2024 alone, tourism generated $30.6 billion. That supports 241,000 jobs, representing 1 in every 10 jobs in the state. Tourism also generated $3.2 billion in state and local tax revenues, making it a major contributor to the state’s economic health.

Those impressive numbers tell only part of the story. Behind every dollar in tourism spending is a workforce that often faces unique employment challenges.

Unlike many other industries, hospitality has historically relied on a highly transient workforce. Hourly employees rarely receive traditional benefits such as short-term disability, comprehensive health insurance or generous paid leave. When an emergency occurs, many workers have little ability to cover expenses if they can’t work.

Hospitality has long been one of WebsterRogers’ primary industries served. The firm works with restaurants, hotels, attractions, golf courses and tourism-related businesses across South Carolina, giving its professionals a firsthand understanding of the workforce challenges facing hospitality employers. Supporting À La Heart Grand Strand is a natural extension of that commitment.

À La Heart Grand Strand gives WebsterRogers and other businesses and individuals the ability to directly help employees who make the industry successful.

FAQS

How does the program help employees?

Hospitality employee support through À La Heart Grand Strand is open to eligible employees working in qualifying Grand Strand restaurants, hotels, attractions and other hospitality businesses.

Employees may receive grants of up to $2,500 for unforeseen emergencies such as sudden illness, injury, residential fire or flood, funeral expenses and other qualifying hardships. The program also offers $500 in maternity assistance.

The fund can be supported not only by local businesses, but by patrons who can make a small donation through a ‘buy a heart’ campaign.

What is À La Heart Grand Strand?

À La Heart Grand Strand is an employee support program launched by the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association. It gives hospitality workers in the Grand Strand short-term financial help when they face an unexpected hardship, so they can stay employed and financially stable.

Who is eligible for support through the fund?

Employees at qualifying Grand Strand restaurants, hotels, attractions and other hospitality businesses can apply if they are facing a sudden illness, injury, house fire or flood, funeral expenses or another qualifying hardship.

How can a business or individual support the fund?

Businesses can join as members, as WebsterRogers did as the first founding member. Individuals can also help by making a donation through the fund’s ‘buy a heart’ campaign.

Why did WebsterRogers become a founding member?

Hospitality is one of WebsterRogers’ primary industries served. The firm works with restaurants, hotels, attractions, golf courses and tourism-related businesses across South Carolina, so supporting the workforce behind that industry was a natural extension of its existing commitment.

Employee Support Is a Business Strategy

While the program provides emergency assistance to individual employees, its benefits extend well beyond a single household to the entire business.

Employers face several workforce hurdles – a highly mobile workforce, changing consumer spending patterns, fickle weather, and retention challenges. And when employees experience a personal emergency, many are forced to leave work temporarily or find another job with more robust benefits. Keeping those employees reduces expenses for employers who must replace them, but more importantly, the assistance can keep experienced workers in the industry and loyal to their employers.

Experienced employees become tomorrow’s managers and owners. Many of today’s hospitality leaders began their careers as hosts, servers, housekeepers or front-desk associates. Timely, compassionate support – when hospitality employees need it most – is another way to preserve that talent pipeline for the future.

Employees who know their employer and their industry care about their well-being are more likely to remain committed to hospitality as a career rather than a steppingstone to another profession.

Building a More Resilient Hospitality Community

Supporting employees also creates benefits that extend beyond any single business. It strengthens the entire hospitality community. Ultimately, À La Heart Grand Strand represents caring for the people who care for others.

As the first founding member of À La Heart Grand Strand, WebsterRogers is proud to help launch a resource designed specifically for hospitality employees in times of need. The firm believes the strength of South Carolina’s hospitality industry depends on the people who power it every day, and encourages businesses, community partners, and patrons to support the fund so it can continue making a meaningful impact across the Grand Strand.

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About WebsterRogers

WebsterRogers LLP is a South Carolina-based accounting and consulting firm founded in 1984. The firm has seven offices across the state, including one in Myrtle Beach, and more than 140 professionals who serve industries such as tourism and hospitality, construction, healthcare, and manufacturing.