News

United Way announces $543,000 in Helene recovery grants

By Lightning Reports, Published: December 9, 2024

The United Way of Henderson County has awarded $543,000 in grants in the past two weeks to help local nonprofits meet post-Helene needs in the community, including $135,000 to food pantries and $200,000 for housing.

Thirteen food pantries will receive $10,385 in year-one funding and will be eligible for a second year of funding. Food pantries not only provide local access to healthy food and supplies throughout the county they also provide pathways for the distribution of donated supplies. 

“We work with local food pantries in Henderson County every day and know firsthand how impactful these sustaining two-year grants can be,” said MANNA FoodBank's Kristen Ollilia, agency relations manager. “We’re thankful for all United Way of Henderson County is doing for agencies and neighbors to improve food security.”

UWHC has also granted $208,000 in additional Hurricane Helene emergency relief funding to 26 local partner organizations working to improve the health, education, financial stability and basic needs . These agencies are providing access to essential services including rent and utility assistance, legal care to help with FEMA benefits and unlawful evictions, crisis and domestic violence support and shelter, mental health support, senior support services, and more.

The immediate housing challenges facing Henderson County will take an incredible amount of resources to address. In addition to the Helene Relief Grants that are supporting several local housing agencies, UWHC has granted $200,000 to Housing Assistance Corp. for their Rapid Home Inspection and Emergency Home Stabilization Program to expand capacity for immediate inspections and repairs. The funding will provide approximately 120 inspections as well as emergency stabilization repairs for 36 homes.

“The United Way’s support has allowed us to reach three times as many homeowners and assess damage," HAC Executive Director Meg Lebeck said. "Those assessments have allowed our team to provide immediate stabilizing repairs, preventing families from being displaced. The assessments are also a resource to appeal insurance and FEMA decisions,” commented. The United Way’s investment at this critical moment has scaled our impact as an organization immensely.”

Prior to Helene, the rising costs of housing, childcare, food and other basic needs left many families struggling to make ends meet. Since Helene, the population of neighbors struggling to keep up with the most basic needs has exponentially expanded.

“Our nonprofit community has always been the backbone of basic needs and crisis support for neighbors in need, and this year the table of needs is considerably larger,” said Kat Carlton, executive director of UWHC. “We know this is only the beginning of a long road to recovery. Our community needs us now more than ever and we are committed to helping Henderson County recover and rebuild.”