'Our guardian angels': A small but mighty effort to bring holiday joy to NC Helene victims

Hurricanes Irma and Harvey showed the power of social media to share real-time alerts and information as well as get resources to people more quickly when official channels like crisis hotlines are clogged. Officials originally discouraged the use of social media fearing panic and misinformation, but those attitudes changed as they saw the immediate impact it had on getting people help. More local and national organizations shifted to using social platforms to guide their emergency response efforts.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, several community-led organizations are joining forces to help those in need by gathering and distributing supply donations and helping those affected apply for FEMA assistance, unemployment and other relief support.

The nonprofit GiveDirectly is providing no-strings-attached, direct cash payments to households that receive SNAP benefits and were impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The payments are sent directly to the debit cards already use for SNAP, and households were chosen based on poverty data and data about the worst-hit areas.

A variety of organizations are using drones to find missing persons and airdrop supplies in response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene. A Walmart in North Carolina, for example, sends necessary prescriptions and resources to a nearby senior center with a drone from its commercial drone delivery program.

Community volunteers, churches like the Mother Grove Goddess Temple and organizations like BeLoved Asheville are ramping up to provide relief to those in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, providing everything from gas cans to camping supplies to winter gear and first aid supplies.

In Detroit, a coalition of nonprofits and organizations are coming together to transform buildings into resilience centers. A resilience center is a hub that people can go to for help, especially in moments of a natural emergency. In Detroit, the hubs are part of a response to the effects of climate change, which can leave people displaced. Some of the things people can find in a hub include emergency services, internet access, and workforce development.

As flood risk and severity increase, homeowners are lifting their houses to avoid catastrophic damage. Hydraulic lifts raise the structure several feet up in the air, though it’s an expensive process, costing $75 to $200 per square foot. For some eligible families, low-interest disaster loans from FEMA are available to cover 75-100% of the costs. The organization has already raised nearly 22,000 homes nationwide since 1999.

A resident of Western North Carolina started a google form and spreadsheet to connect community members with volunteers offering the help they need to recover after Hurricane Helene.

Volunteers with BeLoved Asheville are bringing Asheville residents water so they can flush toilets, wash their hands and shower amid the water scarcity caused by Hurricane Helene. These improvised distribution systems have become crucial to ensure residents can maintain their hygiene and prevent illness until their normal water access is restored.

Mutual aid at the grassroots level is about helping a neighbor in need, and this strategy has been spurred into action across the country in response to COVID-19. In Detroit, people rally across social media and technology to connect those in need with those looking to help. For those without social media, mutual aid forms are available online for residents to apply for help from community members in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and more. They provide services such as picking up groceries and medicine, childcare, or monetary donations.