How musicians are helping western North Carolinians replace instruments lost in Helene

A network of local organizations in North Carolina are supplying people impacted by Hurricane Helene with clothing that can keep them warm as winter arrives. They run clothing drives and then sort the donations to meet specific requests, which is more helpful than giving out boxes of random clothes.

In Morocco's desert oasis, combining traditional ecological knowledge (communal groundwater management, rainwater harvesting, sustainable agriculture) and cultural renewal (a music school and festival) helps combat desertification, encourages youth retention, and strengthens community resilience, although evidence of long-term ecological restoration is still limited.

In 2023, Hot Springs received a microgrid of solar panels and lithium-ion batteries, which can provide 100 percent of the town’s peak load and up to six hours of backup power. In Hurricane Helene's wake, the microgrid operated continuously for 143.5 hours during a blackout.

Local Meals on Wheels programs are known for delivering food to low-income seniors, but during climate disasters, they are in the position to check in on the most vulnerable. The programs’ volunteers and staff do just that, whether that means giving fans to clients during a heatwave, tarping roofs after a hurricane, or making check-up calls.

The Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, North Carolina, is providing rent assistance, including same-day eviction protection, for people impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The Cabins 4 Christ initiative is providing shed-like shelters for people who lost their homes in the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. The structures include a composting toilet, mattresses, plenty of insulation, and supplies like water and a cooking stove.

A Facebook group posts the Amazon "wish lists" of families in Western North Carolina who were affected by Hurricane Helene to help them meet their immediate needs and provide holiday gifts for children. Donors "adopt" families and purchase anywhere from one item to the entire list.

A mobile shower facility called God’s Bathouse stops at churches in Florida to provide a safe environment for people experiencing homelessness to take a hot shower and address their health maintenance needs.

The Gaza Sunbirds para-cycling team shifted from preparing to compete in tournaments, like the 2024 Paralympics, to distributing food and aid packages to displaced people in Gaza on their bikes.

The Chicago-based nonprofit New Life Centers helps asylum seekers at city-run shelters move into and furnish new permanent homes anywhere in the state.