As Western North Carolina continues the extended work of rebuilding and recovery following Hurricane Helene, the Community Foundation of Henderson County (CFHC) is marking a milestone in local giving and response. Just six months after the storm, CFHC has distributed more than $1.4 million in grants and assistance to local nonprofits providing immediate frontline services within communities and to local businesses in need of support.

“It’s a privilege to be part of a responsive community that walks the talk when it comes to caring

for our neighbors,” said Community Foundation President and CEO, McCray Benson. “Within

days of this crisis our team was able to begin distributing funding to organizations helping the

people in our community who needed it the most. The unprecedented generosity of individuals

from near and far, in addition to gifts from corporations and investments from peer funders,

makes this giving milestone possible in Henderson County."

In just six short months, Community Foundation of Henderson County grants for Hurricane

Helene relief quickly exceeded any other designated disaster-related relief in the foundation’s

history, even surpassing funding distributed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 the

community foundation provided $565,000 in combined COVID relief, a total eclipsed by 147

percent for Hurricane Helene since October 2024. Hurricane Helene relief donors were also

extremely wide-ranging in their geographic origin, hailing from 45 of the country’s 50 states.

Of the $1.4 million distributed locally to date for Hurricane Helene assistance, $950,000 has

funded relief, recovery, and rebuilding grants awarded to 44 different nonprofits, with the

remainder given through donor-advised funds to support disaster-related needs. Additionally, 95

community businesses in need of support received grants totaling $314,000 through LoveHendo

Business Relief Funds.

In addition to the magnitude of gifts through the last six months, Helene funds are supporting

projects in Henderson County that are innovative and collaborative. CFHC grants have funded

environmental testing and waterway clean-up conducted by nonprofit partner MountainTrue, the

rebuilding of the Stoney Creek Road bridge through the Bridging Together program operated by

LDR Carolinas and Mennonite Disaster Service, and funding for a critically needed disaster

caseworker position for the Children and Family Resource Center, to name a few.

Throughout the region’s recovery process, CFHC has benefited from strong partnerships with

peer foundations and local entities focused on regional resilience including Dogwood Health

Trust, Duke Energy Foundation, Optimum, Polk County Community Foundation, Henderson

County, the City of Hendersonville, The Partnership for Economic Development, Henderson

County Chamber of Commerce, Blue Ridge Community College, and Henderson County TDA.

“Nonprofits from Henderson County and the immediate surrounding areas have shown

enormous creativity, initiative and partnership to help our community rebound from the impact of

the storm,” noted Community Foundation Board President Ruth Birge. “We are blessed to be

part of a community with problem solvers in both philanthropy and social services. Together, we

are forever giving, forever caring.”

The Community Foundation of Henderson County will continue to accept disaster-related

applications from qualifying nonprofit organizations serving the community through April 15th,

after which identified long-term project based funding will be available. For more information or

to discuss disaster-related funding needs please contact Kris Merritt, Program Officer.

Source: Community Foundation of WNC.