HURRICANE HELENE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT
Communities across our region are devastated by the historic impact of Hurricane Helene. More than 100 lives have been lost, many more are still missing, and entire communities have been swept away in the floodwaters. The destruction is overwhelming. Our love and support is with everyone in the Southeast U.S. who is experiencing this tremendous loss. Members of our own staff remain without water and power in Western North Carolina, but we are grateful for their physical safety.
For folks both within and outside our region who are seeking resources to share or some way to support, we want to share what we have gathered so far. We welcome more information as mutual aid efforts continue to grow – please reach out to us so we can amplify the work on the ground and what is needed. Because the need is so vast, if you are in an impacted community and need information specific to your area, please reach out and we will do our best to connect you with support.
READ THE STAY PROJECT STATEMENT
TO SUPPORT:
- Appalachia Funders Network Helene Response Fund
- Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
- Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC)Assisting long-term recovery efforts across the Appalachian region.Website: [https://www.cfwnc.orgPhone: (828) 254-4960 Email: info@cfwnc.org
- Organizing Resilience
- Operation Airdrop
- BeLoved Asheville
- Poder Emma
- East Tennessee Foundation
- Tampa Bay Rapid Response Fund
- Black Trans Collective: Supporting Black trans people in NC impacted by Helene – Paypal: @Blacktranscollective@gmail.com
- Giles County VA Disaster Relief Fund
- Collective Care of SW VA
- Habitat for Humanity of Washington County, VA Supporting rebuilding efforts for homes impacted by the hurricane. Website: [https://www.habitatwcva.org](https://www.habitatwcva.org) Phone: (276) 525-1535 Email: habitatwcva@gmail.com
- Localized Mutual Aid
- Appalachian Medical Solidarity/Asheville Survival Program: Venmo @AppMedSolid / Cashapp: $Streets1de – “Flood Support” in description
- WNC Rural Organizing and Resilience: Paypal ruralorganizingandresilience@gmail.com
- Holler Harm Reduction /Marshall, NC Mutual Aid Hub
- Boone, NC: High Country Mutual Aid
- First Aid Collective Knoxville: Venmo @firstaidcollectknox
- Community Defense of East TN: flood relief for folks in Greeneville jail and surrounding community: Cashapp $CDETPUSH
- Clean Water Expected in East TN
- Tri Cities Mutual Aid TN/VA: Venmo: @allixTCMAN
- Mutual aid for Latinx families in WNC
- Cashapp: $TriangleMutualAid
- Upstate SC Food Not Bombs: Venmo @UpstateFNB / CashApp: $UpstateFNB, Paypal: paypal.me/TsuK
- Newport VA Community Center: Venmo @holler2holler
- Food Not Bombs Tallahassee FL: Venmo & Paypal @mckatonic138
- Harvest Hope Food Bank
RESOURCE GUIDES:
COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL RESOURCE GUIDE FROM APPALACHIAN VOICES
Appalachians4Appalachia Resource Guide
Support Appalachia Resource Guide
WNC and Upstate SC Resource Guide from Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
East TN Resource Guide from Tri-Cities Mutual Aid
Stay Together Appalachian Youth Resource Guide
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- For people with disabilities needing support: Disability and Disaster Hotline – 800-626-4959
- Emergency relief for food and beverage workers
- News and Analysis:
- Free Starlink for 30 Days for Affected Areas
- Team Rubicon Providing disaster response volunteers to help communities with relief and recovery operations.
- Phone: (310) 640-8787 Email: info@teamrubiconusa.org
North Carolina
- Western NC Resource Guide
- Helene WNC Response and Rebuild Resource Guide
- Updates in Spanish language by Latinx media organization in Asheville – JMPRO es una organizacion de base trabajando median en y para la comunidad latina: https://www.facebook.com/@jmprotvespanol/
- Mas Noticias en Espanol: https://enlacelatinonc.org/, https://www.readync.gov/ (“Select Language”), https://www.fema.gov/es/disaster/3617
- Via 100 Days in Appalachia:
Blue Ridge Public Radio compiled this list of places to donate in western North Carolina. Click here for the full list.
Manna FoodBank is a food bank in Asheville, North Carolina. Click here to donate money.
Homeward Bound helps unhoused people find shelter in western North Carolina. Click here to donate.
Samaritan’s Purse is a reputable Christian organization with a long history of service in southern Appalachia. Click here to donate.
Democracy Green is a Raleigh-based environmental group helping with recovery efforts in western North Carolina. Click here to donate.
The Foothills Food Club is dedicated to feeding hungry neighbors in McDowell County, North Carolina. Click here to donate.
Tennessee
- Pro Bono/Reduced Rate Counseling for People Impacted by Hurricane Helene in East TN: East TN Counseling Collaborative
Via 100 Days in Appalachia:
RISE Erwin is a community organization in Unicoi County, Tennessee. They are soliciting donations to help with flood relief in their community via a GoFundMe campaign. Click here to donate.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee is accepting donations of money and food. Click here to donate.
The Appalachia Service Project is a Christian mission dedicated to helping build and repair homes in our region. Click here to donate.
Tri-Cities Mutual Aid is a mutual aid group in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. Click here to donate.
The East Tennessee Foundation is accepting donations for flood recovery efforts. Click here to donate.
The Unicoi County Animal Shelter has an Amazon Wish List. You can click here to help them out. They also have this wish list on pet supply website Chewy. Click here to support them!
For folks in EKY seeking ways to support – from the Alliance for Appalachia:
Please reach out to help us update this list or if we can direct you to local support and mutual aid.
CEASEFIRE NOW: Take Action for Palestine
The Highlander Center is joining voices across the globe calling for an end to genocide and apartheid in Gaza and demanding a permanent ceasefire and end to occupation now.
Highlander joined 219 organizations April 30 in signing onto a statement to “stand in solidarity with the students nationwide and globally who are bravely protesting in encampments and otherwise to condemn Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza–actions which human rights organizations, a federal U.S. court, and the International Court of Justice have said “plausibly” constitute genocide.”
We also invite you to read this open letter on the student encampments and other global resistance efforts seeking liberation for Palestine from organizers with Equal Health’s Campaign Against Racism, inspired partially by their time at Highlander’s 90th Homecoming celebration.
Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson facilitated a Teach-In with the Rising Majority, “No to Genocide, No to War, Ceasefire Now!” featuring Dr. Barbara Ransby, the Palestinian Feminist Collective, Jewish Voice for Peace, UE150, Adalah Justice Project, Robin D.G. Kelley, and many more. It was a powerful session holding space for grief in song and poetry; sharing in-depth political education on the history, context, and current violence rooted in Zionism, apartheid, genocide and colonialism against Palestinians; and centering concrete action steps and organizing strategies to free Palestine that are part of a growing mass movement today.
We implore you to watch, share, and take action with organizations in your community and via these campaigns:
- US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action Toolkit: Read, act, and share!
- Write your members of Congress to demand a ceasefire now
- Tell President Biden to call for a ceasefire now
- Take action to reject Biden’s $105 billion Death Package and military aid to Israel
- Find a protest near you
- Donate to humanitarian and medical aid for Palestine via Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Medical Aid for Palestinians, and Doctors Without Borders.
More Resources for Political Education and Organizing:
- Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement
- The Black and Palestinian Solidarity Organizing Toolkit from Dream Defenders in partnership with Black for Palestine, Movement for Black Lives, BlackOUT Collective, and Dissenters
- #Ceasefire NOW Resources from Dream Defenders, Adalah Justice Project, Kairos Center, and the Rising Majority
- All Out for Palestine Digital Action Toolkit from Palestinian Feminist Collective
- No Tax Dollars for War Crimes Toolkit for organizing actions at congressional district offices, from American Friends Service Committee
- Report social media censorship or a digital rights violation to the Palestinian Observatory of Digital Rights Violations (7or) by 7amleh
- Legal Resources for Activists from Palestine Legal
- Decolonize Palestine website
- Al Jazeera for news
- Activist Resources & Joint Struggles from USCPR
- Why Black Americans Should Stand In Solidarity With Palestinians: Activist And Scholar Nyle Fort Explains
- Abolition and Liberation of Palestine
- Palestine: “Women and Children” and the Politics of Appeal
For Current Updates on Ongoing Actions, Follow these Social Media Accounts: