As the scale and breadth of Helene's damage became apparent, hundreds of nonprofits, agencies, schools, first responders, churches, and volunteers stepped up to meet needs.
The grants supported:
In the early days following the storm, communities pulled together to support neighbors and to share supplies, news and resources. Teams mobilized to undertake initial rescue, to provide water, shelter and food, and to ensure the safety of others. Waves of volunteers arrived, and many remain to support long-term recovery.
These grants supported frontline nonprofits meeting immediate needs or those whose ability to provide services was directly affected by the floods. Organizations used a simple, expedited process to access funds with grants awarded on a rolling basis.
The Cajun Navy provided critical frontline relief immediately following the storm in Mitchell, Avery and Yancey counties. They distributed food and meals, propane, water and donated generators, sleeping bags, blankets, heaters and camp stoves. They mucked out eleven homes and tarped eight roofs. They cut trees, cleared land and removed debris at seventeen locations. Photo courtesy of the Cajun Navy Foundation
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Bountiful Cities pivoted to focus on emergency relief efforts. Funding allowed them to respond to urgent needs, and their established relationships with local communities enabled them to mobilize resources swiftly and target areas in greatest need in Asheville, Swannanoa and Hot Springs. They prioritized food and water distribution, providing clean drinking water through wells on their properties and non-potable water via rainwater collection systems in gardens they manage. Photo courtesy of Bountiful Cities.
The storm disrupted access to life-saving medications, putting thousands—especially those with chronic conditions and urgent health needs—at serious risk. NC Med Assist established a Hurricane Relief Task Force to coordinate medication distribution across WNC. The effort provided medication access to more than 8,000 people. Photo courtesy of NC Med Assist
"Immediately following the storm, when roads in and out of Asheville were not yet easily passable, Babies Need Bottoms staff members were loading diapers in the dark, pushing cartloads through muddy floors to take diapers to shelters and pop-up community supply distributions -- before local or federal government supply distributions existed. Once internet and electricity began to return, we were able to coordinate with our partners and filling vehicles with everything we could to get more of these essential items out to families in need." Photo courtesy of Babies Need Bottoms
UNETE mounted a Community Health Working Frontline Responder program that directly impacted the lives of families and individuals in WNC by enhancing access to essential services, food security, and emergency aid. The funds helped individuals navigate FEMA, D-SNAP, and NCCARE360 while ensuring smooth operations for weekly food distributions serving over 1,000 individuals and 260 families. Photo courtesy of UNETE
