Grassroots organizations to support in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene

In 2022, Asheville, NC, was ranked the number one climate haven where people fleeing from climate change could move.

Now, in 2024, it’s become the site of one of the worst climate disasters in recent memory.

Hurricane Helene swept through North Carolina on Sept. 27, leaving a trail of destruction with Asheville experiencing some of the most severe flooding in its history. This city, once regarded as the number one “climate-safe” city in the U.S., is now facing the harsh reality that no place is immune to climate change. Roads are flooded, homes have been destroyed, and communities are in disarray with dozens dead and thousands more missing.

One of our team members and their family is currently trapped in Asheville amidst the flooding, and the heart of our whole team is with them and their community. If, like many of us, you feel moved to help, please consider making a donation to one of the following local organizations working on recovery in Western North Carolina (note: Stand.earth is not affiliated with either of these organizations).

• Avery County
  • Feeding Avery Families: Working daily with emergency crews to provide food and supplies to everyone in need, even in the most remote areas. Their goal is to reach every household in Avery County (population of 16,000) and make each home a food hub for neighbors in the coming weeks.
• Buncombe County
  • Bounty & Soul: Bounty & Soul has to date opened up 17 locations where we are providing hot meals, fresh food, and essential household supplies and equipment for the most devastated areas of Black Mountain & Swannanoa Valley.
  • Colaborativa La Milpa: Based in the Emma community of Buncombe County, delivering supplies, medicine, and more to trailer parks, public housing, and surrounding areas.
• Henderson County
  • Tierra Fértil Coop (donate here): Cooperative Farm in Henderson County. They have opened a distribution center to serve farmworkers and community members in the Fletcher and Hendersonville areas, and are distributing fresh produce and other essential supplies. Also have engaged volunteers in cleaning up flooded farmland and helped spread the word to Spanish-speaking community members about locations for relief supplies.
• Madison County
  • Community Housing Coalition of Madison County: Since Helene, CHC’s emergency response work has included: directing volunteers, supplies and information to distribution stations, making outreach/wellness calls to every active CHC client, facilitating emergency home repairs for those affected and in need of financial assistance, helping with childcare for volunteers and re-orienting ongoing work related to housing in Madison County.
• McDowell County
  • Centro Unido: Serving the rural communities of McDowell County and surrounding areas. Created a mutual aid distribution center and are ensuring supplies and support get to Latino and rural communities.
  • West Marion Community Forum: Distributing emergency resources (food, water, supplies), supporting FEMA applications (in both Spanish and English), conducting wellness checks, and holding space for discussions on equitable rebuilding efforts. Community-led group working in structurally excluded neighborhoods in Marion and Old Fort.
• Mitchell County
  • Mitchell Giving Gardens: A nonprofit that grows vegetables for distribution free of cost and helps bring partners together to build a stronger local food system.
  • Tractor Food & Farms: Providing food to people in Mitchell County. TRACTOR is a community food hub that has been focused on building a network of farmers, growers and producers to feed their communities.
• Yancey County
  • Dig In Community Garden: Distributes food to the community through free harvest share programs. Their farm was destroyed and they need funds to rebuild.
  • PATH: PATH is running Volunteer Coordination and Community Information/Liaison efforts in Yancey County. They partner on community wellness, social determinants of health, chronic disease prevention, food security, and substance use initiatives.

Communities across Western North Carolina and beyond were impacted by this devastating, climate change exacerbated hurricane, and we hope that every single person affected gets the support they need to recover and rebuild. But it does highlight a sobering truth: no matter where we make our homes, we can’t escape the growing impacts of our changing climate.

Yet even in the darkness, there are gleam of hope. Together with people like you, the Stand.earth community is working to ensure that stories like this are told and action is taken to prevent even more disasters like these from happening. As our colleague deals with this acute climate disaster firsthand, we must remember that this is not an isolated event. Climate change affects all of us, regardless of wealth, location, or privilege. It is imperative that we push for bold action to protect our communities and address the root of the climate crisis by phasing our fossil fuels as quickly as possible – no city can be truly “safe” until we all are.

Now, more than ever, we need to come together to fight for climate justice and accountability and progress. We are committed to continuing our work, despite the challenges, and we are so glad you are here with us.