Our hearts and thoughts are with our friends and colleagues in Western North Carolina who are coping with the catastrophic impacts of Tropical Storm Helene. While we don’t yet know the full extent of the devastation, we know that there are many kids, families, and educators throughout Western North Carolina who are going without basic needs such as food, water, and shelter. Certainly the recovery needs in Western North Carolina will remain great in the months and years to come.
Below is information we have gathered and that has been shared with us about organizations that are providing resources and support to kids, families, and communities in Western NC.
If you are located in Western NC, please share these resources with members of your community that may not have access to cell phone services or the internet.
**If you are an afterschool, summer, or out-of-school time program provider, please let us know your status by answering a few short questions using this form.
For those located elsewhere, please consider donating or offering your support to groups that are working to address immediate health, humanitarian and safety needs in Western NC.
If you are looking for a Safe Place to Bring Children and Families for activities, enrichment, resources, and respite, we are working on keeping a running list of where those places are (check the “Safe Places for Kids and Families” section below).
Additionally, here is a Resource from the North Carolina Center for Resilience and Learning with information about Supporting Students and Families in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster.
If You Need Help…
If you are trying to get in touch with a loved one, text PERSON to 40403 to add a loved one to United Way of North Carolina’s (UWNC) search and rescue efforts.
- The form is also available online.
- UWNC also operates NC 2-1-1, a multilingual health services help line.
This resource guide is a live document that is being regularly updated with the most current information, and includes a list of resources available by county.
- The managers of this resource guide also have a Facebook Page that they are updating regularly with information and updates as they become available.
- If you know of resources not listed in this guide, you can email to share information at wnchelene@gmail.com.
In Southwest North Carolina: Blue Ridge Radio and WFAE have created lists of organizations that are giving out supplies and resources.
In Northwest North Carolina: Feeding Avery Families is coordinating food distribution in Newland, North Carolina. W.A.M.Y. Community Action has efforts operating in Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties. Hospitality House of Northwest NC is also providing updates on their operations on Facebook.
In Rutherford County: KidSenses Children’s INTERACTIVE Museum ( 172 N Main St, Rutherfordton, NC 28139) is open and encouraging community members to come by with devices they need charged & buckets to fill with water, and to receive bottled water from the local Food Lion. Hopeworks by Blue Ridge Hope will be open at The Blue Ridge Hope Village (654 West Main St Forest City, NC 28043) from 10:30am-4:00pm Wednesday 10-2 through Friday 10-4 and offers a place for youth and their families to come for a safe place be, a place to charge devices, to receive free food and water; they will be provided lunch, snacks, and drinks. Rutherford County Emergency Management is posting additional resources and updates on their Facebook page.
For YMCA programs located in Western NC: If you are a YMCA program in Western North Carolina that needs support, or that would like assistance providing services to community members in needs such as food, water, shelter, or child care for emergency workers, contact Michele McKinley with the NC Alliance of YMCAs (Michele.McKinley@ncymcas.org) who will be able to assist you to find out what resources are available from Y National.
If you are a Summer Camp or OST Program that needs resources and support, here is a resource from the American Camp Association.
NC Tripping is maintaining a list of resources and organizations spanning the Western region.
Safe Places for Kids and Families
| Resource | Address | Facebook, Website, or Other Contact | Description | County |
| Camp Grier | 985 Camp Grier Rd, Old Fort, NC 28762 | Camp Grier | Camp Grier in Old Fort, NC is providing shelter, showers, and meals to people in need. Alternative site | Buncombe |
| OpenDoors Asheville | 290 Haywood Road, Suite 001, Asheville, 28808 | OpenDoors Asheville | Providing food, water, supplies to families. Will adapt programming for students who need supports with schools out indefinitely. | Buncombe |
| YMCA of Catawba Valley | Providing Child Care for Emergency Workers | Burke | ||
| First United Methodist Church Waynesville | 566 S Haywood Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 | FUMC Waynesville | FUMC provided temporary shelter for evacuees during the storm, and is operating now a volunteer and supply distribution hub. Hot meals, information, and supplies are being provided on campus and can be driven to affected areas.FUMC is providing free childcare for students K-12 in the community from 1-3 each afternoon, accompanied by a hot meal. | Haywood |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Plateau | Highlands-Cashiers Hospital-Jane Woodruff Building171 Hospital Drive Highlands NC, 28741 | Highlands site open to Emergency Workers | Macon | |
| First United Methodist Church of Franklin | 66 Harrison Avenue Franklin, NC 28734 | afterschool@firstumcfranklin.org828-524-3010 x332 | Afterschool is open, operating, and serving all of Macon County. As long as schools are open they will be operating. | Macon |
| Higher Academia | 2186 Lynn Road Suite B, Columbus, North Carolina 28722 | Higher Academia | Starting October 8, Higher Academia will be providing child care services for 4 hour increments for students in Polk County. We will continue to provide these services until Polk School District resume classes for students.Our normal hours of operations are 3:00pm until 6:00pm.; Monday through Thursday. During storm recovery we will operate from 9:00am to 6:00pm; Monday through Friday. Schedule is subject to change based on staff availability and clientele demands. | |
| Hopeworks by Blue Ridge Hope | The Blue Ridge Hope Village, 654 West Main St Forest City, NC 28043 | Hopeworks by Blue Ridge Hope | Hopeworks by Blue Ridge Hope will be open at The Blue Ridge Hope Village from 10:30am-4:00pm Wednesday 10-2 through Friday 10-4 and offers a place for youth and their families to come for a safe place be, a place to charge devices, to receive free food and water; they will be provided lunch, snacks, and drinks. | Rutherford |
| KidSenses Children’s INTERACTIVE Museum | 172 N Main St, Rutherfordton, NC 28139 | KidSenses Children’s INTERACTIVE Museum | KidSenses Children’s INTERACTIVE Museum is open and offering free admission for community members. They are offering wifi access and electricity to charge devices and are serving as a resource distribution center. | Rutherford |
| Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County | 11 Gallimore Road Brevard, NC 28712 | Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County | OPEN, delivering meals, and allowing theirs and other community students to be served out of one of our buildings to maximize reach and impact.House calls are also being made to club families with supply delivery to those in need. | Transylvania |
| Isaac Homes Youth Services | Rosman, NC | Isaac Homes Youth Services | Smaller facility is open on at ad hoc basis for food and supplies | Transylvania |
| TC Strong | N/A | TC Strong Website | TC Strong is working alongside our community partners including OST programs to provide space/time for people to connect, share stories, play together, & connect to resources for mental health and well-being. | Transylvania |
For Afterschool, Summer, and Out-of-School Time Providers
For Afterschool, Summer, and Out-of-school Time Providers in the 25 Counties of Western NC affected by Hurricane Helene:
We are grateful that many of you have reached out since the storm to let us know your safety status and your organization’s operating status. Some have shared that they are open, operating, and providing services to the community. We also know that as youth development professionals and out-of-school time programs, many of you are eager to step in and support kids and families. We want to assist you with that, and to better understand and communicate your needs with our networks.
To that end, if you are located in one of the 25 counties impacted by Helene, we would like to know which of you may be open/operational/playing a role in supporting your community with recovery, which of you may have suffered damage, and what support you need.
If you are safe and able, we would be grateful if you could answer a few short questions so that we can share more broadly information about those of you who are helping, and those of you who may need more help. You can fill out this form, or email Elizabeth Anderson and Sebastian Pruett at spruett@ncforum.org to share a damage assessment, as well as if you are operating and what services you are able to provide.
If You Want to Help…
- Western NC is home to many camps, and camp communities that are eager to step in and support kids and the community. Project:Camp through the American Camp Association is organizing free day camps and are looking for sites in Western North Carolina. If you are available to host Project:Camp or willing to volunteer at one of their sites, please email camps@projectcamp.co.
- The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina has opened their disaster relief fund and is accepting donations. They can deploy funds quickly and limit administrative burdens for nonprofits.
- You can also donate to emergency response efforts by visiting nc.gov/donate.
- United Way of North Carolina is accepting donations for their UW Helps NC Fund; donations can be made online and designated to a specific United Way or designated for UWNC to allocate funds to areas of the greatest need.
- The Education Justice Alliance (located in Raleigh) is also accepting donations to help families in Western North Carolina. You can visit their Facebook Page to learn more how to donate.
- In Southwest North Carolina: Blue Ridge Radio and WFAE have created lists of organizations that are giving out supplies and resources. Many of these organizations are accepting donations, volunteers, and other means of support.
