How to help with Hurricane Helene's recovery

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https://www.wral.com/story/help-rebu...rrow/21648118/

Western North Carolina was crippled by historic flooding and life-threatening conditions from the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene. Many organizations are working to support those in need during this difficult time.

Hurricane Helene Recovery Telethon

WRAL is coming together with the community to raise funds for those devastated by Hurricane Helene. Tune in Wednesday, Oct. 2, from noon to 7:30 p.m. for our telethon, where every donation goes directly to supporting recovery and rebuilding efforts across the state. Your support can help families, friends, and neighbors regain their footing after the storm. Join us on WRAL and make a difference.
Donations can also be made via phone on Wednesday
and anytime online:
DONATE TO the American Red Cross
DONATE TO North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund

Checks can be mailed to:

American Red Cross
100 N. Peartree Lane
Raleigh, NC 27610

North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund
20312 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699


WRAL Cares Virtual Blood Drive

The Red Cross has declared an urgent need for blood and platelet donations in the wake of Hurricane Helene. In addition to the unimaginable devastation caused by the storm, the hurricane forced more than 1,000 scheduled blood donations to go uncollected through the Carolinas and Georgia. That number continues to grow.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, supplies are depleted, and blood and platelets are desperately needed. Those in areas of the state who can safely give blood are asked to roll up their sleeves and donate today to ensure that those who need access to lifesaving care can receive it. Pledge to give blood via this link.

More ways to donate to Hurricane Helene disaster relief

• To make a $10 donation to the Red Cross, text HELENE to 90999. To make a donation of any other size, visit: Support Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief To find out more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer, visit www.redcross.org/volunteer
• Donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations for the fund will go to nonprofits working to meet the immediate needs of people needing food and water, cleaning supplies and other emergency supplies.
• Triangle Community Foundation is matching donations up to $25,000 to the Community Fund of Western North Carolina and the North Carolina Community Foundation.
• The United Way has created a fund to specifically help those affected by Helene. You may designate your donation to a local United Way or where it is needed most at the discretion of United Way of North Carolina.
• The Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina has opened a Hurricane Helene Relief Fund to distribute directly to hospice and home care employees devastated by this storm. To donate, click here.

Donate to Hurricane Helene relief in your community

On your computer, use ctrl+F or search by organization name or location.

Chatham County is collecting donations of water, non-perishable food, baby and hygiene products and more for delivery to flooded communities.
Drop off donations during business hours, Monday through Friday, Oct. 4, at the following locations:

• Piggly Wiggly in Siler City
• Chatham County Sheriffs Office in Pittsboro
• Performance Auto in Pittsboro
• Solid Rock Community Church and Grace Chapel Church in Sanford
• Spill the Beans Coffee in Liberty
• Parks Crossroads Baptist Church in Ramseur

Durham Rescue Mission is holding a supply drive for items to help those affected by Helene on Sunday, Sept. 29, and Monday, Sept. 30. Supplies should be dropped off at 1201 E. Main St. Durham.
Items needed:

• toothbrushes
• toothpaste
• deodorant
• feminine products
• bottled water
• pop top canned food
• shelf stable food
• shampoo
• baby wipes
• diapers

Johnston County, along with the sheriff's office and emergency services, is hosting a week-long donation drive. Donations can be dropped off Monday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Johnston County Sheriff's Office located at 2875 U.S. Highway 70 Business East in Smithfield. The sheriff's office will continue to accept donations Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A drive-thru donation line will be set up to make the process quick and easy for residents. Follow the signs when you arrive.
Items needed:

• Bottled water
• Non-perishable food
• Paper products
• Plastic utensils
• Sanitary wipes
• Cleaning supplies
• Hygiene products (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.)
• Diapers
• Baby wipes
• Sports drinks
• Hydration powder packs
• Bug spray
• Manual can openers
• Trash bags
• Socks (all sizes, unopened)
• Heavy duty work gloves
• Pet food

In addition to physical donations, cash and checks are also welcome. Please put "Western NC/Helene" in the memo line. All funds will be collected and donated directly to emergency relief efforts in western North Carolina. Please make checks payable to:

County of Johnston
Relief Fund
P.O. Box 1049
Smithfield, N.C. 27577

For more information, contact the Johnston County Sheriff's Office at 919-989-5010.
The Pine Level Fire Department is taking donations from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily until Thursday. You can drop off donations at the back of the fire department located at 110 W. Main Street in Selma. The fire department said it's not accepting blankets, toys or clothes at this time.
Items needed:

• Water
• Non-perishable items (e.g. raviolis, dehydrated camping meals, canned soups, etc.)
• Women's hygiene products
• Men's hygiene products
• Kids' hygiene products
• First aid kits
• Baby food
• Baby formula

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) will be collecting supplies to assist law enforcement partners and the Buncombe County community Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the MCSO Annex located at 5235 Spector Dr. in Charlotte. The sheriff's office said the size of the donation does not matter, every little bit helps.
Items needed:

• Water
• Non-perishable food
• Cleaning items
• Baby wipes

Operation North State, a nonprofit in Winston-Salem, is hosting a Hurricane Helene Relief Collection Drive Monday at the Bass Pro Shops at Concord Mills located at 8181 Concord Mills Blvd. in Concord. The goal is to collect a minimum of 12 tractor-trailer loads of supplies in eight days. The drive runs until Oct. 8. Only new items will be accepted.
Items needed:

• Bottled water
• Baby products
• Pet food/items
• Lighting
• Blankets
• Clothing
• Shower and bath Items
• Cleaning supplies
• Paper products
• Toiletries
• Medicine cabinet items
• Non-perishable foods
• Batteries
• Something loving for a child to hold

Cash donations with checks can be made out to:

Operation North State
151 Windemere Ct.
Winston-Salem, NC 27127

You can also donate at operationnorthstate.com.
All cash donations will be used to purchase gift cards to fast food restaurants so flood victims and members of the rescue, first response and emergency teams can have hot meals. ONS purchases gifts only from those restaurants that provide us with 50% discounts on the gift cards.


Timberlake Fire & Rescue is accepting donations at its station at 350 Ashley Ave. in Timberlake.
Items needed:

• Water
• Non-perishable food
• Baby food
• Diapers

American Woodyards, 5199 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh, is collecting supplies for deliveries to Lansing, NC. If after hours, please leave donations in front of scalehouse.
Immediate needs:

• Water
• Diapers
• Baby Wipes
• Baby Formula
• Gas Cans
• Batteries
• Flashlights
• Hand Sanitizer
• Non-perishable food

The Wake Forest Fire Department is accepting donations to aid Hurricane Helene victims and first responders Wake Forest Fire Department Station #1, 420 Elm Ave., is now serving as a donation drop off point for the counties in Western NC devastated by Hurricane Helene.
The full list of acceptable donation items includes:

• Bottled Water
• Non-Perishable Food (canned goods, dried foods) - Food that doesn't need to be cooked
• Clothing - new or gently used
• Gasoline & Gas Cans
• Diapers (all sizes)
• Baby Formula
• Toiletries (Toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo)
• Hygiene Products (feminine hygiene, deodorant, hand sanitizer)
• Blankets & Bedding
• Towels
• Cleaning Supplies (disinfectant wipes, bleach, mops)
• First Aid Kits
• Flashlights & Batteries
• Trash Bags
• Pet Food & Supplies
• Baby Wipes
• Water Filters & Purification Tablets
• Tarps
• Plastic Storage Bins
• Personal Protective Equipment (gloves, masks)
• LP Tanks
• Charcoal
• Manual Can Openers

Cash and checks written to the Wake Forest Firefighter Foundation are also accepted. All monetary donations will be used to purchase additional relief supplies.


Other local ways to help

For the week of Sept. 30, Union Special is donating a portion of all sales and 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of their pay-it-forward loaves (potato bread) to World Central Kitchen.
Flour Power Cooking Studios in Cary is hosting a fundraising event on Saturday, Oct. 5. Learn how to craft your own delicious pizzas and decorate sugar cookies. Every dollar raised will be donated directly to the Red Cross Hurricane Helene Relief Fund. You can register at flourpowerstudios.com.


Volunteer to help clean up Western North Carolina

Many non-profits are collecting donations and mobilizing teams to help.

• TheSalvation Army is accepting donation and mobilizing disaster response teams. Donate and find out more on their website.
• Baptists on a Mission volunteers are putting teams together to serve those affected in North Carolina as conditions allow. The group is accepting donations and looking for volunteers.
• Samaritan’s Purse's headquarters is in Boone. They are currently scheduling volunteers to help homeowners with the destruction in the city. Find out how you can help.
• Find a recovery group to help via the North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster list or find a group to volunteer with. There is also a national directory with organizations that are helping.
• Charity Navigator is vetting relief organizations that had pre-positioned resources to deliver food, emergency shelter, medical care, and other critical items to people impacted by Helene. Charities are rated on a 5-star scale based on their financial health and their accountability and transparency.

If you have donations, equipment, or have questions about specific needs, please email helenedonations@buncombecounty.org. If you want to volunteer, please email helenevolunteers@buncombecounty.org.

Appalachian State disaster relief fund

Appalachian State University said the school will be closed for several days due to infrastructure damage to the campus. The school saw significant flooding on Friday.
None of the residence halls were damaged, but its campus did sustain some damage from Helene.
The school provided a donation link that you can access by clicking here. Those wishing to donate will need to provide a donation amount and say how much of the donation they would like to go to the Appalachian State Disaster Relief Fund.

The Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina

FFA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting foster caregivers and providers statewide, and is currently working to provide immediate aid to those who have lost everything.
Some of the ways we're providing tangible relief include:

• water
• food
• hotels
• formula
• gas gift cards
• other needs as identified

Get more information on their website.

Some things to remember when donating

Disaster officials remind you that if you want to donate, do it through a disaster relief organization or the government. They publish lists of needed items.

• Only give items when they are requested
• Only give items that are on the list of requested items
• Do not send items directly to the affected area

DisasterAssistance.gov provides information about finding loved ones. You can also get information on this through the Red Cross.
Look for matching donations. Nonprofits recognize that individuals may not be able to give as much as they would like due to the current economy and the number of current global crises. Experts suggest giving through places that will provide a matching donation. For example, Walmart announced Monday that its foundation will not only donate $6 million to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts, but it will match all customer donations made to the American Red Cross at Walmart and Sam's Club stores, as well as Walmart.com, until Oct. 13, up to $2.5 million.

Seeking shelter or financial assistance after a disaster

If you need assistance following Helene, go to USA.Gov to get information about financial assistance and housing following a disaster.
The Red Cross also has a list of shelters that are open and so does the website ReadyNC.gov.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety has a website with information about emergency declarations, power outages and crisis cleanup for those affected by Helene.

Health needs

If you are in a personal crisis and need someone to talk with, you can call or text the Crisis Line at 988. If you are not in an immediate crisis, but need someone to talk with, you can call the North Carolina Warm Line: 1-855-733-7762.
LME/MCOs, or Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organizations, are the best contacts for most mental health and developmental disability services. See a county-by-county list.

Who to call if you need help locating someone

NC 211 is an information and referral service provided by United Way of North Carolina and supported by local United Ways and public and private partners
North Carolina leaders mentioned the service as the western part of the state deals with flooding, no water, no power and no cell service in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

People trying to connect with family members can call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state. People can also call those numbers to report missing loved ones.
WRAL News has begun compiling a list of people who are safe. You can see that full list by clicking here.