Nonprofits and religious groups are working to bring relief to people affected by Hurricane Helene.
Metro Atlanta-based Food Security for America (FSA), which serves low-income communities across Georgia, is raising money to provide food, water and other supplies to Augusta residents impacted by the storm. The organization has completed a $2,000 truck run to deliver fresh produce and water, and is seeking donations at foodsecurityforamerica.org/donate/ to continue to serve the community.
Send Relief, the Atlanta-based global nonprofit, is working with the Salvation Army to establish feeding sites in impacted areas including Valdosta, Augusta and Statesboro.
Josh Benton, Send Relief’s vice president for North America, has been on the road visiting response sites in Kentucky and will be headed to Georgia Monday night. In addition to preparing meals, Send Relief teams and volunteers are helping with property clean up, using chainsaws to clear downed trees and making immediate repairs to structures until insurance companies can come in and assess the damage.
”It was a fast moving storm with high winds so we’ve seen a lot of power outages,” Benton said. “That means as long as power is out there is a need for food preparation and distribution.”
To donate to Send Relief’s hurricane relief fund, visit sendrelief.org/hurricane.
The Atlanta-based nonprofit, Caring For Others, has activated its ‘All Hands Mission’ in partnership with Convoy of Care to provide relief efforts and supplies to help residents in Augusta and Valdosta. Efforts could be expanded to other cities. The organization is accepting financial donations at its website, caring4others.org/hurricane-helene/, as well as donations of cleaning tools and products. Product donations can be delivered to the Caring for Others headquarters at 3537 Browns Mill Rd SE #2, before 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays . The organization is in need of tarps, generators, bottled water, toilet paper, hygiene kits, first aid kits, feminine hygiene items, bleach and laundry detergent.
The American Red Cross is also helping people who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. Go to redcross.org/shelter to find a shelter or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) if you need assistance. It’s staffed 24 hours a day.
The Salvation Army of Georgia will provide food, hydration and emotional and spiritual support to residents who need the help. Divisional Emergency Disaster Services Director Lanita Lloyd said Friday the charity was preparing to send employees and volunteers into the field.
Some local units provided food at shelters. The Salvation Army will operate 14 mobile kitchens throughout the state, stocked with enough food to serve thousands of hot meals, snacks and drinks to survivors and relief workers.
To make financial donations go to HelpSalvationArmy.org or call 1-800-Sal-Army.
Atlanta-based CARE is also providing emergency relief in Georgia and other states hit by the storm.
Those efforts include providing cash assistance to help families meet their essential needs such as food, medicine and hygiene supplies; support to help rebuild and taking steps to protect the most at-risk populations, including women and girls. To learn more go to my.care.org.
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church ‘s Early Response Teams are tarping, running chainsaws and helping with debris removal in Valdosta and Augusta. More are being scheduled in the weeks ahead. The plan is to keep serving in these communities until they have recovered, which will be months and maybe more than a year from now. The conference has received financial donations through many United Methodist churches or people can go to or www.ngumc.org/helene.
A coalition of partners, including the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, Cherry Street Energy, Footprint Project, and The United Methodist Church, has deployed a solar microgrid trailer to the Valdosta area where it is powering lights and refrigeration at a church camp just north of Valdosta. That location to serve as basecamp for trained United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Early Response Teams from Georgia.
The United Methodist Church is also helping in other states including Kentucky, Florida, North and South Carolina and Tennessee.
AmeriCares, a health-focused nonprofit, has set up a webpage to receive donations: https://my.americares.org/give/623680#!/donation/checkout
RomeGaCares, a local nonprofit out of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, is heading to east Georgia to clear debris, tarp buildings and bring pallets of water to nine counties in the area.
Monetary donations can be mailed or dropped off at RomeGaCares, 2526 New Calhoun Highway, Rome, Ga. 30161.
Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta has provided Camp Mikell in Toccoa as a refuge for people in need of temporary housing while waiting for utility services to be restored.
The camp has power, hot water, and access to well-stocked stores and gas stations. Camp Mikell is an Episcopal camp and conference center established in 1941.
To arrange for temporary housing for up to two weeks at Camp Mikell, please contact amp Executive Director Jessica LeFiles at jessi@campmikell.com or Amanda at amanda@campmikell.com. People can also call 706-886-7515.
In a broader effort, Episcopal Relief & Development is working with with faith-based and community-led organizations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina to support people affected by the hurricane. To help, donate to the Hurricane Relief Fund to help provide emergency and long-term recovery support to people affected by Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters.
Here are specific efforts:
In partnership with the Diocese of Georgia, Episcopal Relief & Development is providing gift cards and distributing water, food, clothing and fuel to families in need in the cities of Valdosta, Vidalia, Louisville, Augusta and the surrounding areas.
In partnership with the Diocese of Florida, Episcopal Relief & Development is providing gift cards to impacted families in the Apalachee and Santa Fe regions of Florida
In partnership with the Diocese of Southwest Florida, Episcopal Relief & Development is providing gift cards and household items to families in places including St. Petersburg, Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice.
Direct Relief, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., has committed an initial $250,000 in financial support to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The organization opened access to its $74 million inventory of emergency medicines for needs arising from the storm, shipping needed items to free clinics, health centers and charitable pharmacies in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. To donate go to the organization’s website at https://www.directrelief.org/.
Samaritan’s Purse, the Boone, N.C. international relief nonprofit, is sending sending volunteers to hard hit communities. Samaritan’s Purse often joins with local churches to aid communities and rebuilds damaged homes. To donate to relief efforts click on the nonprofit’s website. Samaritan’s Purse cautions that infrastructure damage in the area and the high volume of calls, people may experience temporary reaching the organization by phone.
Kearney Center. The Tallahassee -based Kearney Center is a 24-hour comprehensive emergency center for people experiencing or on-the-verge of homelessness in the Big Bend region. Italso serves as an emergency shelter during disasters. The nonprofit is accepting donation to support its services. through its website.
The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is providing emergency kits and ready-to-go meals for families impacted by Hurricane Helene. The nonprofit is connecting with first responders and food banks with additional nonperishable food, tarps and other supplies
Due to widespread flood damage and infrastructure problems the North Carolina, food banks have launched a shared fund dedicated to disaster relief efforts in 25 affected counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee nation. To donate, go to this website: Feeding the Carolinas (4agc.com)
To get help go to: Hurricane Helene: Resources & Support - Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina (foodbankcenc.org)
Emergency food assistance stations are active in impacted North Carolina counties — providing meals, nonperishable food, water, and basic necessities to local residents. Current locations include:
- Ashe County – Westwood Elementary School, Mountain View Elementary School
- Buncombe County – UNC-Asheville, Asheville Buncombe Tech Ferguson, WNC Ag. Center, Asheville-Buncombe Tech Conference Center, Biltmore Baptist Church, The Greens at Weaverville, Fletcher Nursing and Rehabilitation.
- Catawba County – Catawba Valley Community College Tarlton Complex
- Henderson County – First Baptist Church Hendersonville, Greens at Hendersonville
- Madison County – Madison County Cooperative Extension Service
- McDowell County – Nebo Crossing Church, Grace Community Church
- Mitchell County – First Baptist Spruce Pine
- Polk County – Polk County High School
- Rowan County – Rowan-Cabarrus YMCA
- Watauga County – Cove Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Zionville VFD, Foscoe Christian Church, Watauga EOC, Holmes Convocation Center, Meat Camp Road, Town of Boone PD, First Baptist Boone.
Hotlines
Disaster Distress HelplineCall or text 800-985-5990
Crisis Clean-up Helpline :Call 844-965-1386 or enter details online
North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund is accepting donations to help families and individuals with hurricane damage. Contributions are made online by secure link after you submit the webform below, according to the North Caroline Disaster Relief Fund’s website.
To donate by mail, please send contribution to:
North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund20312 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699.
Humane Society of the United States is helping communities and animals affected by Hurricane Helene by transporting cats and dogs to safety, helping devastated animal shelters and providing food, resources and veterinary care. Animal rescue teams remain on the ground in Florida and Tennessee to help animals in area hit hard by the storm.
The HSUS is continuing to receive requests for supplies and animal needs with local emergency management and animal services agencies in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
People looking for help with livestock should call the county in which they are located and ask if they have an emergency shelter or location for animals, according to the nonprofit’s website. " It is also advisable to call local animal control to flag the property so it is on the radar of emergency officials for assistance. Make sure all animals have access to fresh water.”
For more information or to donate go to the Humane Society’s website at https://www.humanesociety.org/hurricane-helene-response.
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation had made a $2 million grant to World Central Kitchen. World Central Kitchen (WCK) provides meals and water following climate, community and humanitarian crises. The funds are being used for immediate relief in Georgia, with the potential to serve additional impacted communities.
Currently, WCK teams are in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee.
To support WCK go to the nonprofit’s website at Donate to World Central Kitchen (wck.org).
If you need assistance
Visit the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency website at gema.georgia.gov/hurricane-helene for information on shelters and assistance in storm-damaged areas. The Georgia Region of the American Red Cross is also compiling information on requesting assistance and shelter.
