September 30, 2024. At this time, individuals are highly encouraged not to travel to western NC to attempt their own volunteer services or to drop off donations. Most roads and highways to western NC are closed and the infrastructure is very dangerous. It is best to collect donation items at an approved donation drop off site in one’s town or county. For a list of those drop off sites and donation item needs, please review the following sources containing these details:
The best way to help our neighbors in need is to donate funds. This is the fastest way to get supplies, resources, and man power to the folks who are stranded and without supplies in western NC. Please consider donating to the UW Helps NC Recovery Fund and the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
If the following options are not close to you, contact your local emergency management office to learn about distribution points in your community. Or donations can be made by contacting an NC VOAD partner agency.
United Way of Davidson County
You can take collected items to the locations listed below – they will have trailers available and be there daily from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM to collect items. If you would like to volunteer to help at these locations, please email Kristie Hege, President, at kristiehege@uwdavidson.org.
Richard Childress Racing – 425 Industrial Drive, Welcome, NC
Davidson County Sheriff’s Department – 2511 E US Hwy 64, Lexington, NC 27292
Items of greatest need:
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- Prepackaged food
- Bottled Water
- Pet food (cat and dog)
- Baby Food
- Baby Formula
Operation Airdrop
Have your own private plane and want to donate your time and services? Join Operation Airdrop to deliver supplies to western North Carolina.
Supplies Drop Off:
- Address: 5825 Thunder Rd NW, Concord, NC 28027
- Drop-Off Hours: 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Volunteers are essential to our mission and are encouraged to assist daily. Upon arrival, please check in at the Walmart parking lot, where roles will be assigned according to current needs, including unloading, sorting, and loading supplies. We welcome volunteers of all ages, abilities, and experience levels. While there is a higher demand for unloading and loading support, we also need help with organizing supplies, supporting our operations team, and other crucial tasks.
Volunteer Sign Up Form for Operation Airdrop
Durham Rescue Mission will hold a supply drive to help those impacted by Helene on Sunday, Sept. 29 and Monday, Sept. 30.
You can drop off supplies at 1201 E. Main Street in Durham.
Johnston County, with the sheriff’s office and emergency service, is hosting a week-long donation drive. You can drop off donations Monday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the sheriff’s office at 2875 U.S. Highway 70 Business East in Smithfield. They will continue to accept donations until Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Red Cross is accepting donations, organizing blood drives and looking for volunteers. Click here to join them or find ways to help those impacted. You can also call 1-800-733-2767.
Samaritan’s Purse, based out of Boone, is looking for volunteers to help homeowners with the destruction in the city.
FEMA
North Carolina homeowners and renters in 25 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Tropical Storm Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.
There are several ways to apply: Online use the FEMA App. You can also call their toll-free line: 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET daily. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages.
NC Disaster Relief Fund
The money will support both immediate and long-term recovery efforts in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The fund is managed by United Way of North Carolina. The Duke Energy Foundation has already made a generous donation of $100,000.
Donations to the Governor’s NC Disaster Relief Fund can be made here.
“We are deeply committed to helping all impacted North Carolina communities through this crisis,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy North Carolina state president. “Our hope is that these matching funds will inspire others to join us in supporting our neighbors during this devastating time.”
United Way of North Carolina
United Way of North Carolina has launched a UW Helps NC Fund. The fund will support immediate and long-term recovery efforts in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Contributions to the UW Helps NC Fund can be made easily online. Donors can designate their contributions to a specific United Way or allow UWNC to allocate funds to the areas of greatest need.
Free Cleanup Assistance
You can also help those affected by letting homeowners and property owners know about free storm cleanup.
Crisis Cleanup has issued a number for folks to call for assistance with debris cleanup from Hurricane Helene: (844) 965-1386. All services are free, but they are not guaranteed. The hotline will remain open through Friday, October 11.
Other resources for those affected by Helene:
- NC Department of Public Safety offers information about cleanup, power outages and emergency declarations.
- American Red Cross has a list of open shelters and other information.
- USA.Gov offers information about financial assistance and housing after a disaster.
- DisasterAssistance.gov offers information for finding loved ones. You can also report a loved one through United Way.
- DriveNC: check for road closures due to the storm.
- Duke Energy: Report a power outage, using the app or 57801
Sources: Operation Airdrop and ABC News 11
