Some moments remind us of the true power of Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, and the volunteer stories that have emerged from Hurricane Helene recovery remain some of the most poignant.
For the last two weeks, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe has been a conduit for mobilizing volunteers at a moment’s notice to support Hurricane Helene survivors as they continue to navigate the long road to recovery. Hands On works alongside the Buncombe County Long-Term Recovery Group (BCLTRG), for which United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County (UWABC) serves as fiscal sponsor and staffing partner. Two homeowners were referred to the BCLTRG through Renew NC, the state-funded Hurricane Helene construction program. These households were preparing for repairs and rebuilds following flooding and downed trees. BCLTRG’s case managers identified that they urgently needed help moving their belongings into storage so that construction could begin.
This is where Hands On Asheville-Buncombe stepped up.
With its extensive reach of volunteers across Western North Carolina, Hands On was able to mobilize enough people to move entire homes’ worth of furniture within just three days of posting the volunteer opportunity. What followed was a powerful showing of community support—and a reminder that, for many survivors, recovery is far from over.
As volunteers worked, they swapped stories of their own experiences during Hurricane Helene and shared their surprise at seeing how many people are still struggling to fully recover.
There was a collective dismay as volunteers saw firsthand that people were still living in unsafe conditions, along with the realization that these two homeowners were not alone in facing that reality.
For one homeowner, the moment became especially emotional. They broke into tears as volunteers moved the furniture out of their longtime home, confronting the reality that the house they had lived in for decades would soon be completely torn down and rebuilt.
Stories like these remind us that support is still needed across Buncombe County—and that there is an entire community ready to provide it.
The BCLTRG and its network of partners are working every day to ensure survivors’ needs are met, with UWABC providing financial and staff support to help make that work possible. Whether we are helping strategize alongside recovery partners or mobilizing volunteers through Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, our role is to bring the right resources and people together when they are needed most. Recovery takes time. But our community is still here, ready to help our neighbors move forward, rebuild, and, ultimately, thrive.
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