The North Carolina Emergency Management Joint Information Center reports the best way to help Western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene is with a monetary donation. The state has established the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund which is managed by United Way of North Carolina; donations can be made at nc.gov/donate. Additional information on donations can be found at UnitedWaync.org.

Other reputable charities are also collecting money to help with Helene relief, including North Carolina Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (ncvoad.org/members).  

Individuals from outside storm-damaged areas that are gathering supplies are urged to collect them, but not attempt to deliver them to Western North Carolina on their own. Efforts are underway to establish more locations to collect donated supplies. Information will be provided as it’s available. 

For tips on giving to charities safely and avoiding charity scams, visit ncdoj.gov/charity. Report scams by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or by visiting ncdoj.gov.