Ways To Help: Volunteering, Donations, And Other Resources To Aid Victims Following Helene
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Helene has killed more than 200 people and caused widespread devastation throughout the Southeast. The storm destroyed communities after making landfall in Florida on Sept. 26. It brought powerful winds and catastrophic flooding to multiple states.
Western North Carolina was one of the heaviest hit areas, with historic flooding that wiped out numerous towns and communities.
National and local government agencies, non-profits, and businesses are providing aid to communities impacted in Western North Carolina by Helene. Additional help is vital as recovery efforts are underway.
Find out ways you can help below:
Monetary Donations:
The North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund
Salvation Army of the Carolinas
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
North Carolina Community Foundation
Food, Water, and Commodity Donations:
Hurricane Helene Airlift ReliefΒ
Monroe Aquatics & Fitness Center on 2325 Hanover Drive is a drop-off location for supplies.
Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport on 3900 Paul J. Helms Drive is a drop-off location for supplies.
Monroe Police Department on 450 W. Crowell Street is a drop-off location for supplies.
Mecklenburg EMS Agency on 4425 Wilkinson Boulevard is requesting baby wipes, headlamps, electrolyte packets, pre-cooked canned food/snacks that require cooking, shelf stable premixed and unmixed 1 gallon cans of fuel, batteries, flashlights, Stihl bars (18 or 20 inch) and chains, light weight generators to loan for oxygen patients, collapsible water carriers, 5 gallon buckets with lids, and water jugs with handles.
EMS Supply Drive with MedCenter Air on 1000 Blythe Boulevard is requesting Gatorade, water, snacks, and blankets.
Charlotte Motor Speedway on 6558 Bruton Smith Boulevard in Concord and NASCAR is holding a Hurricane Relief Drive on Wednesday, October 2nd. Supplies requested are canned/non-perishable food, bottled water, baby wipes, and diapers. Speedway, NASCAR, and area race team volunteers will transport the items to North Wilkesboro Speedway on Thursday, October 3rd at 10am.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office on 5235 Spector Drive in Charlotte is asking for supplies and donations for Buncombe County residents and law enforcement to be dropped off between 9am – 5pm.
23XI Racing on 12311 Airspeed Drive in Huntersville will accept hurricane relief donations at Airspeed starting Tuesday and lasting through Friday. Donations can be dropped off from 7:30a-5p ET in the lobby.
Food, Water and Commodity Points of Distribution:
Efforts are underway to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, utilizing both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. FEMA has delivered 18 trailers of food and water this morning and expects to have both a trailer of food and a trailer of water each delivered to 34 counties by the end of today. More than 20,000 people have been registered for assistance.
- Buncombe County β Biltmore Baptist Church, 35 Clayton Road, Arden, NC 28704
- McDowell County β Grace Community Church, 5182 Highway 70 West, Marion, NC 28752
- Watauga County β First Baptist Church, 375 West King Street, Boone, NC 28607
Points of distribution for commodities have been established in each impacted county. These locations are also providing free public Wi-Fi for area residents. Seek information from local governments for counties not listed below:
- Ashe County β Westwood Elementary School, Mountain View Elementary School
- Buncombe County β UNC-Asheville, Asheville Buncombe Tech Ferguson, WNC Ag. Center, Asheville-Buncombe Tech Conference Center, Biltmore Baptist Church, The Greens at Weaverville, Fletcher Nursing and Rehabilitation.
- Catawba β Catawba Valley Community College Tarlton Complex
- Henderson County β First Baptist Church Hendersonville, Greens at Hendersonville
- Madison County β Madison County Cooperative Extension Service
- McDowell County β Nebo Crossing Church, Grace Community Church
- Mitchell County β First Baptist Spruce Pine
- Polk County β Polk County High School
- Rowan County β Rowan-Cabarrus YMCA
- Watauga β Cove Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Zionville VFD, Foscoe Christian Church, Watauga EOC, Holmes Convocation Center, Meat Camp Road, Town of Boone PD, First Baptist Boone.
Volunteering Options:
The Red Cross is accepting donations, organizing blood drives, and looking for volunteers to help with clean-up efforts.
Samaritan’s Purse, based in Boone, is asking for volunteers to help homeowners with clean-up efforts.
Apply to FEMA:
Visit DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362.
