What you can do to help after Helene’s devastation in western NC

• Donate to Channel 9′s Month of Giving with Second Harvest of Metrolina
• Asheville-based Blue Ridge Public Radio has a list of local organizations pitching in to help those who need it most. Click here for details.
• American Red Cross (Donations/Volunteer)
• NC Disaster Relief Fund
• Volunteer
• On the GoFundMe website, there’s a section dedicated to verified Helene fundraising efforts.
• Several Charlotte breweries are collecting essential supplies, especially water, to donate. Drop off at any of the following locations: Great Wagon Road Distilling Co. NoDa at 610 Anderson Street, Divine Barrel Brewing at 3701 North Davidson Street Suite #203, Town Brewing Company at 800 Grandin Road, Triple C Brewing Company at 2900 Griffith Street, Resident Culture at 2102 Central Avenue, Whiskey Warehouse at 1221 The Plaza, Hopfly Brewing Company at 1327 South Mint Street, or Great Wagon Road Distilling Co. in Waxhaw.
• Airbnb’s nonprofit, Airbnb.org, is offering free, temporary housing to residents who have been displaced from their homes.
• The Charlotte Humane Society is offering an adoption discount as they take in rescues from western North Carolina.
• Matthews United Methodist: Collection hub donation hours: Oct. 4 & 5 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Oct 7-9 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Click here to see photos.
• From Sept. 30 to Oct. 8, Operation North State is collecting NEW items at their collection location set up at Bass Pro Shops located at Concord Mills (8181 Concord Mills Boulevard). From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., donate the following: Bottled water, baby products, pet foods/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 made out to Operation North State, 151 Windemere Ct., Winston-Salem, NC 27127. Or, use the donation tab here.

Red Cross said the supplies dropped off at the following locations will be brought to Samaritan’s Purse:

• Antebellum Marketplace: 5817 West Highway 74, Indian Trail
• Idlewild Baptist Church: 12791 Idlewild Road, Matthews
• Mint Hill Fire Department: 8313 Fairview Road, Mint Hill
• Hemby Bridge Fire Department: 6628 Mill Grove Road, Indian Trail
• 9225 Belt Road, Midland

Supplies needed:

Water, flashlights, tarps, trash bags, diapers, wipes, baby formula, non-perishable food, manual can opener, cleaning supplies, work gloves, toiletries, pet supplies, new socks underwear and T-shirts.

Community Foundation of Henderson County has established three funds to support the relief and recovery. These funds will be used to make grants to support short-term or long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts. Each fund has a slightly different focus:

• Disaster Relief, Recovery, and Rebuild - supporting Henderson County and surrounding areas.
• WNC Disaster Relief - supporting the WNC region
• Disaster Recovery for Lake Lure and Chimney Rock - supporting some of the hardest hit regions, Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, NC.

Gifts can be made via credit card, check, or other giving options such as stock, securities, or required minimum distributions from retirement accounts. Those interested in learning more may do so online at WWW.CFHCFOREVER.ORG

For those wishing to give via check please mail to: Community Foundation of Henderson County 401 North Main St. Ste 300 Hendersonville, NC 28792 Please include which recovery fund you would like your gift to support when sending. For questions or to discuss the best options for your philanthropy at this time, please call our office at (828) 697-6224 or email info@cfhcforever.or or Stacie Marlowe at smarlowe@cfhcforever.org

Other organizations helping:

• All Hands and Hearts
• Americares
• Operation Blessing
• Save the Children
• CNN - Impact Your World
• Operation BBQ Relief
• Global Giving

Tips from the Associated Press:

• Cash is king. Many groups providing aid will only accept cash donations because the needs are not fully known and it does not require additional resources to get the donations to those in need. Food and clothing drives may be helpful later in the process in specific communities, but it can divert manpower to connect the right people with the right items.
• 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.
• Consider waiting. Rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Helene will take months, if not years, and the full picture of need is not available yet, experts say. They say that following disasters donations start out strong following the event and then slow down when it is no longer top of mind, even though that’s when the need may grow when government benefits expire.

(VIDEO: Volunteers in Hickory use helicopters to help Helene victims)