“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”
– Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers)
Over the past few weeks, the news and social media have been saturated with videos and pictures of the life-altering impacts of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina. The individuals and families living in these areas are showing remarkable resilience while adjusting to a new normal post-Hurricane Helene. The hurricane was something Western North Carolina had never experienced before; It washed away entire communities and, with them, washed away people’s memories, family history, and way of life.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell said, “While natural disasters capture headlines and national attention short-term, the work of recovery and rebuilding is long-term.” This is where we, as a larger community, come in. Healing and recovery can be enhanced through our collective help. Communities coming together to assist their neighbors, friends, families, and even strangers has a powerful impact on resiliency and hope for the future. We all share a common desire to lift others and ensure their safety and well-being, because we know that in times of need, we would want the same for ourselves.
Below, we outline a few tangible examples of how you can help those in Western North Carolina adjust to life post Hurricane Helene.
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Volunteer your Airbnb or engage in house sharing for displaced people need temporary housing.
Some people have support systems and can stay with family members or friends. However, others don’t have this resource and need some outside assistance to find safe housing while waiting for power and water, to reconstruct damaged homes, etc. Airbnb.org is a nonprofit that places people in temporary dwellings during a crisis. CBS News explains how the nonprofit announced they would provide free housing solutions for people “in greatest need of temporary housing” across Florida and North Carolina post-Hurricane Helene. Airbnb.org is not a part of Airbnb but partners with Airbnb to help people in need. Airbnb.org’s mission is to “unlock the power of sharing space, resources, and support in times of need.” Suppose you are located near an impacted area, and you have an Airbnb that is safe and habitable. In that case, you can go to the website and find out how to support as a host to give your space for free or at a significantly discounted price to hurricane survivors. Click here to learn how you can put up your Airbnb.
If you don’t have an Airbnb but possibly have a spare room, in-law suite, bed and breakfast, etc., that you would like to offer to those who need housing during this time, talk to local organizations, nonprofits, and community groups that can help you find the right place to post and safely promote these options.
Utilize your specific skills and put them to use.
Community needs and priorities will differ across Western North Carolina, and we all come to the table with unique talents. If you work in architecture and construction, you could host free home repair skills workshops about fixing plumbing, patching walls, or offering help renovating homes that are salvageable after the storm. If you are a lawyer, you could offer legal advice for dealing with car and house insurance claims and costs. If you are a financial expert, you can offer information sessions on managing finances through and after a disaster and saving money in case of emergencies. If you are a mental health professional, you can volunteer your time and services to offer trauma-informed counseling services in affected areas of Western North Carolina. If you are a licensed caregiver, you could help with elder and childcare for families navigating the balance of work, recovery efforts, and having facilities closed. If you are a pet lover, you could foster one of the animals displaced during the storm until their owners or new homes can be found forever. If you work with lumbar, give time to helping cut down the fallen trees and branches.
When people give their talents, we can help everyone navigate many stressors brought after a natural disaster. Pro bono services can be highly beneficial to community members.
Volunteer to be a part of a cleanup crew and donate.
Many communities around the state, and even outside the state, are banding together to collect materials like water, food, baby diapers, and formula. Right now, Western North Carolina is overrun with donations and has a greater need for monetary donations and volunteers. BeLoved Asheville is a major organization in the Asheville area that provides resources to those affected. If you go to their website, you can sign up to offer hands-on help for the cleanup and rebuilding efforts or donate sums of money so the organization can identify the best areas for donation. Other organizations that are accepting volunteers to help with post-hurricane relief efforts include:
- North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NC VOAD)
- American Red Cross
- Samaritan’s Purse
- VolunteerNC
Research and see what organization would be the best fit for your volunteer efforts
Additionally, Western North Carolina folx are in need of is larger items like heaters and generators, as many places still don’t have a steady supply of water and power. These are higher price items that are hard to afford on your own, but could be bought through a fundraiser or company donations.
Check out Light Papers in the Light Lab for insightful conversations on family well-being topics.
No matter how you choose to help those in Western North Carolina, it’s crucial to listen and be open to what communities say they need. This is the most important point, because at the core, we need to respect and listen to those who are members of these communities and living in these areas. An Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub article about the key findings from a study about community recovery quoted a community member about what they needed during recovery efforts:
“We needed help, but we weren’t helpless. We needed someone to come along and hold our hands, with the tools and support we needed, but knowing when to take their hands away. We didn’t want people to come in and take over. Part of going through the process was to feel that we had some strength.”
Giving community members the opportunity and power over relief efforts is essential. They are the ones living it and are the best community experts. The County of Los Angeles’s Public Health highlights how you can help those around you in a disaster or emergency when you listen, protect, and connect. In other words, when you listen to the concerns and needs of those in the community, people are better able to protect themselves from the things weighing heaviest on their stress by connecting them to the best resources.
“In the face of adversity, we have seen neighborhoods helping neighbors, volunteers stepping up, and first responders risking their lives to ensure our safety.” As Mister Rogers said, you can always find the helpers. Now more than ever, our fellow North Carolinians in Western North Carolina need us.
Take a moment to consider how you may be able to act and help those in Western North Carolina. Your support can make a significant difference in the lives impacted by Hurricane Helene.
If you have any questions or comments about the content in this Lightbulb Moment article, please get in touch with our Research Lead, Madeline Attianese, at mattianese@chsnc.org.