Jessi Rae Morton, News Editor
Hurricane Helene moved through the Carolinas on the night of Sept. 26 and into the following day, resulting in extensive flooding and storm damage. Some of the most devastated areas are in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The UNC Greensboro community includes many people from western North Carolina, and we also have friends, family, and colleagues in affected areas. North Carolinians not directly impacted by the storm have many opportunities to contribute to relief efforts through donations and volunteering.
On Monday, Sept. 30, Chancellor Gilliam provided the following information in an email to the UNC Greensboro community:
Resources for Students and Employees:
Students who have been impacted or are feeling overwhelmed can receive support through Counseling and Psychological Services. If you are experiencing financial hardship or food insecurity, the Dean of Students Office can connect you to resources such as the Spartan Open Pantry or the SAFE Fund. Employees can receive support through ComPsych Guidance Resources.
Additional resources:
How to Help:
Governor Cooper has urged those who can, to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund: nc.gov/donate. Donations will go to nonprofits working to meet the immediate needs of storm victims, such as food and water, cleaning supplies, and other emergency supplies. All of the donations made will go to disaster relief.
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Other members of the UNC system are also contributing to relief efforts. At UNC Charlotte, Chancellor Gaber has established the Niners Care: Hurricane Relief Fund to assist sister campuses most affected by Hurricane Helene: UNC Asheville, Appalachian State University, and Western Carolina University. Donations to this fund (up to $50,000) are being matched by Charlotte Football’s Head Coach Biff Poggi and Assistant Head Coach Jon Jacobson.
At UNC, the Carolina Center for Public Service has curated a list of volunteer and donation opportunities. They also refer to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s page on the best ways to donate in the wake of Hurricane Helene. One recommended avenue for donations is North Carolina Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (www.ncvoad.org/members). According to the NC Department of Public Safety, “VOADS are vetted disaster relief nonprofit organizations that work in coordination with state and federal agencies to deliver supplies and services to North Carolinians in need.”
NC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster President Kristy Kulberg explained that “With cash in hand, these organizations can obtain needed resources nearer to the disaster location. This inflow of cash also pumps money back into the local economy and helps local businesses recover faster. Although the need is great, and desire to help strong, it is important to avoid donating material goods or self-deploying to help until communities are safe and public officials and disaster relief organizations have had an opportunity to assess the damage to identify what the specific unmet needs are.”
Mutual aid efforts as well as smaller local aid organizations are also collecting donations, but it’s important to make sure you are donating to legitimate efforts and taking care to avoid scams. To best serve our neighbors in WNC, it’s also important to avoid misinformation. FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has started a Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response webpage to counter some misinformation. They also offer a list of ways to help, including links to volunteer opportunities.
Relief efforts, including federal, state, and local resources, are well underway. Over 1,000 National Guardsmen have been deployed to affected areas, and they are working to clear roads, conduct search and rescue, and distribute supplies. The State Emergency Response team is also working to coordinate efforts by nonprofit organizations and private ground and air resources.
If you are unable to donate monetarily, you may be able to volunteer. If you aren’t able to volunteer, sharing good information and making sure you don’t contribute to the spread of misinformation are also important parts of the recovery effort. When sharing information with people in affected areas, plain text messages may be the best option. While electricity and cell service are being gradually restored, especially in more populated areas, some more remote mountain towns still have limited service, so screenshots and links may be harder for people in those areas to access.
THE CAROLINIAN 