Hurricane Helene

 

In the wake of Hurricane Helene's destruction, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County (UWABC) is working alongside our valued partners to help our community recover and rebuild. Experts specializing in natural disasters tell us recovery efforts will take at least a decade. This organization and its staff are 100% committed to this endeavor. 

As a trusted nonprofit community anchor organization, UWABC's purpose is to mobilize and support a robust network of people, partners, and resources to co-create opportunities for every person in our community to live free from poverty and injustice. Rooted in over a century of service, UWABC remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring student success, family stability, and the equitable recovery of our entire community — we're in this together, and it's only by working together that we build back BUNCOMBE STRONG | BUNCOMBE UNITED.

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The Road Ahead

Moving forward, our recovery strategy will focus on three key areas:

 

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Donations and Investments

UWABC has a long history of raising funds for important community work. Our team has already raised over $5M for relief and recovery efforts in Buncombe County, but we have much more to do with an estimated 8-10-year recovery period ahead of us. 

Where Will Those Dollars Go?

Hurricane Helene funds will be used to support the following priority areas:

  • 30% Relief Work — funding to meet the urgent needs of our community, including support for the work of nonprofits and direct assistance to individuals and families
  • 60% Recovery Work — strategic funding to address mid to long-term recovery efforts
     
  • 10% UWABC's Relief and Recovery Work — including raising and distributing goods and resources, mobilizing thousands of volunteers, and coordinating response efforts and information between nonprofits, government, and business partners in our community

Early Investments

By November 30, we will have invested $1.5M in Relief Work. We've already dispersed most of those funds, with $165K in stabilization funds going to current nonprofit partners — many of whom support vulnerable youth throughout our community, $670K in direct assistance to individuals and families, and another $605K to urgent needs work by local nonprofit organizations.

Recovery Stage Funding

The Recovery stage will address the hurricane's longer-term impacts. We expect decisions related to this process to begin in December.

There are two key areas you can help fund as we work to support our community:

 

Donate directly to
Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.

 

Donate directly to the LIVE UNITED fund to sustain UWABC's work throughout the recovery efforts.

 

 

 

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Volunteers

Mobilizing the community through volunteerism will continue to play a critical role in our recovery strategy. United Way's Volunteer Center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, is the largest repository of volunteer opportunities in Western North Carolina. This resource will continue to aid recovery efforts in two ways:

 

Supporting Nonprofit and Community Groups

Organizations needing volunteers can log on using the button below, create a profile (if they don't have one), list their needs, and recruit volunteers.

 

Recruiting Volunteers to Meet Community Needs

Individuals wanting to volunteer can log on using the button below, sign up to create an account (if they don't have one), and find opportunities to volunteer. 

 

 

 

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Community Resilience and Civic Infrastructure

When this disaster hit we were able to immediately connect with other United Ways that have navigated similar environmental disasters including Katrina, Sandy, and the fires in Maui. The insights of these organizations sharing what they learned were invaluable in helping us navigate the days ahead.

One thing we heard over and over? United Way's strength comes from the broad and diverse network we've built over the past century. These relationships and the trust building we've established allowed this collective body to activate quickly to connect needed resources to community needs. 

Since the first days of the disaster, UWABC has leaned into this role as a connector. What this looks like in the short term:

  • We continue to have regular communication with local government officials to help connect their response and recovery strategies with grassroots groups, nonprofits, and business partners
     
  • We support continuous communication between our community partners and our teammates at NC211 to ensure the information in their database reflects the fast-paced and changing reality on the ground
     
  • And we are helping to convene relief and recovery partners to establish a Long Term Recovery Group that will focus on ensuring all of those affected by Helene recover and are better prepared for future disasters. Stay tuned for more as the overall details and logistics are established

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Stay Connected

UWABC sends two monthly newsletters, one covering our core work, and the other on volunteer opportunities. These newsletters are a great way to stay informed and engaged in our community. Sign up today!

 

 

The Latest

Stories are the heart of community. During this difficult time, we have been humbled to see neighbors supporting neighbors, and entire communities coming together to offer help, respite, and hope. We've tried to capture what that looks like and encourage you to explore the content below. Please bookmark this page and visit often as this content is updated regularly.

 

Resources

Individuals

  • FEMA: To apply for disaster assistance, including financial support:
  • Dial 2-1-1 (24/7) for NON-EMERGENCY requests for information. This includes locations of shelters, how to find help with food or water, and later information about FEMA and other rebuilding support efforts.
     
  • Support local relief efforts: Donate Supplies
     
  • Buncombe County Government Community Resources Website
     

Nonprofit and Community Partners

 

Additional Ways to Support