$1.8 million distributed for Hurricane Helene relief

Press release from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina:

(January 3, 2025) Over the past two weeks, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) distributed $1,810,337 to nonprofits providing hurricane recovery services in Western North Carolina. As of January 1, $17.5 million has been awarded from the Emergency and Disaster Response Fund (EDRF).

Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity (AAHH) was awarded $1 million to build the capacity of the Asheville Regional Coalition for Home Repair (ARCHR), which was in development before Helene created the urgency to move the partnership forward. ARCHR is an association of home repair providers, including Habitat, Mountain Housing Opportunities, Community Action Opportunities, Poder Emma, and the Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust. Its goal is to increase communication and collaboration to decrease the burden on low-income households seeking necessary home repair and modification. The Community Housing Coalition of Madison County cross-refers applicants in Madison County through the Madison Long Term Recovery Group’s construction committee.

ARCHR’s services include centralized client intake and project management and a shared warehouse space to stockpile donations of building materials. AAHH serves as the backbone organization for ARCHR and is currently adding staff capacity to meet the needs of the growing coalition.

“As our community moves from disaster response to long-term recovery, The Community Foundation is proving to be a key partner in rebuilding,” said Andy Barnett, AAHH CEO. “Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and our ARCHR partners are incredibly grateful for the recent $1 million grant. These funds will enable this emerging coalition to serve a growing number of low-income Buncombe and Madison County families in need of home repair in the wake of this unprecedented storm.”

The complete slate of grants awarded include:

$50,000 to Adults Working and Advocating for Kids Empowerment (AWAKE) to resume construction of a child abuse treatment center serving Swain County and the Qualla Boundary that was utilized as storage since the hurricane.

$275,000 to ArtsAVL to support its Arts Business Relief Grants, continuing aid to creative workers across the region, especially arts nonprofits that are not supported through many of the small business grant opportunities currently available in WNC.

$1,000,000 to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity to hire additional staff, increase assessment capacity and cover construction expenses in support of the Asheville Regional Coalition for Home Repair as it addresses the disaster home repair needs of low-income Buncombe and Madison County homeowners in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

$50,000 to Asheville Botanical Garden to continue landscape repair, damage mitigation and ecological restoration across its natural and recreational landscape in Buncombe County.

$25,000 to Bridge Worship Center International to repair its facility that is used to provide essential supplies to low-income people in Burke, McDowell, Mitchell, Buncombe and Avery counties.

$50,000 to EcoForesters to help in the conservation stewardship of land damaged by Hurricane Helene, mitigating wildfire threats and preparing for a major influx of invasive species in the WNC Region.

$25,000 to Helpmate to support an increased demand for services due to the hurricane in Buncombe County.

$50,000 to Just For Him Ministries for materials, skilled labor, and construction costs to rebuild homes for families displaced by the hurricane in Polk, Yancey, Buncombe, Mitchell, and Rutherford counties.

$50,000 to Montreat Conference Center for trail repair to address washouts, bridge damage, tree falls, and lost wayfinding signage in Buncombe County.

$230,000 to Transylvania Habitat for Humanity to provide temporary housing, critical home repairs and improved home access for families devastated by Hurricane Helene in Transylvania County.

$5,337 to Union Mills Learning Center to replace a well pump destroyed during the hurricane in Rutherford County.

EDRF grantmaking began October 7 and will continue weekly to support recovery and rebuilding. If you wish to support aid to those affected by the storm, you can donate to the Fund at www.cfwnc.org. Administrative fees are waived so that every dollar goes directly to assistance.

CFWNC makes grants in 18 Western North Carolina counties including the Qualla Boundary. Bringing people together to address regional issues or crises is a key role of community foundations.