Hendersonville, N.C. (March 26, 2025) — As Western North Carolina continues the extended work of rebuilding and recovery following Hurricane Helene, the Community Foundation of Henderson County (CFHC) is marking a milestone in local giving and response. Just six months after the storm, CFHC has distributed more than $1.4 million in grants and assistance to local nonprofits providing immediate frontline services within communities and to local businesses in need of support.
“It’s a privilege to be part of a responsive community that walks the talk when it comes to caring for our neighbors,” said Community Foundation President and CEO, McCray Benson. “Within days of this crisis our team was able to begin distributing funding to organizations helping the people in our community who needed it the most. The unprecedented generosity of individuals from near and far, in addition to gifts from corporations and investments from peer funders, makes this giving milestone possible in Henderson County,” he said.
In just six short months, Community Foundation of Henderson County grants for Hurricane Helene relief quickly exceeded any other designated disaster-related relief in the foundation’s history, even surpassing funding distributed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 the community foundation provided $565,000 in combined COVID relief, a total eclipsed by 147 percent for Hurricane Helene since October 2024. Hurricane Helene relief donors were also extremely wide-ranging in their geographic origin, hailing from 45 of the country’s 50 states.
Of the $1.4 million distributed locally to date for Hurricane Helene assistance, $950,000 has funded relief, recovery, and rebuilding grants awarded to 44 different nonprofits, with the remainder given through donor-advised funds to support disaster-related needs. Additionally, 95 community businesses in need of support received grants totaling $314,000 through LoveHendo Business Relief Funds.
In addition to the magnitude of gifts through the last six months, Helene funds are supporting projects in Henderson County that are innovative and collaborative. CFHC grants have funded environmental testing and waterway clean-up conducted by nonprofit partner MountainTrue, the rebuilding of the Stoney Creek Road bridge through the Bridging Together program operated by LDR Carolinas and Mennonite Disaster Service, and funding for a critically needed disaster caseworker position for the Children and Family Resource Center, to name a few.
Throughout the region’s recovery process, CFHC has benefited from strong partnerships with peer foundations and local entities focused on regional resilience including Dogwood Health Trust, Duke Energy Foundation, Optimum, Polk County Community Foundation, Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, The Partnership for Economic Development, Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, Blue Ridge Community College, and Henderson County TDA.
“Nonprofits from Henderson County and the immediate surrounding areas have shown enormous creativity, initiative and partnership to help our community rebound from the impact of the storm,” noted Community Foundation Board President Ruth Birge. “We are blessed to be part of a community with problem solvers in both philanthropy and social services. Together, we are forever giving, forever caring.”
The Community Foundation of Henderson County will continue to accept disaster-related applications from qualifying nonprofit organizations serving the community through April 15th, after which identified long-term project-based funding will be available.
For more information or to discuss disaster-related funding needs please contact Kris Merritt, Program Officer.
Awards to local non-profits, small businesses, and individuals/entities working toward relief and recovery:
A Basket for All Occasions
Active Health: Chiropratic and Personal Training
Advanced Dermatology and Skin Surgery
Advantage Golf
Advising Solutions
All Nations Trading
Alpharetta Methodist Church
Art MoB Studios & Gallery
AS Appliance Repair
American Woodlands Design
Amiliana's Hair Studio
Amid Life Mission
Angel K Love Project
Arts Council of Henderson County
Asheville Thermoform Plastics
Aura Home Women Vets
Autoworx
Back On Track Addiction Ministries
Barkers Anonymous Boutique and Training
Barkwells
Bay Breeze Seafood Restaurant
Bearwallow Valley Farms
Beloved Asheville
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina
BL Corp of NC
Black Bear Coffee
Black in Appalachia Research, Education & Support
Blue Ridge Executive Search
Blue Ridge Biofuels
Blue Ridge Community Health Services
Botanical Treasures
Brightwater Wellness NC
Bullington Gardens
Camp Glenn Arden
Campers Care
Capstone Lifestyles
Centro Comunitario Hispano Americano
Cenzontle
Children & Family Resource Center of Henderson County
Church of the Transfiguration – Bat Cave
Claywood
Clear Creek Cabins
Cognative Brew House
Coston Farms
County of Rutherford
Crowns Salon and Hair Clinic
D & D Gilbert Orchards
Dave Anders Enterprise Inc
DB barD Outfitters LLC
DLJ Cardinal Cottage
Dry Falls Brewing Company
DTK Fitness Brand
Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation
Echo Mountain Inn
El Centro
Tiny Bridge Farms
Emma's Baby Boutique
ErrandBoys
Fawnhurst Rentals
Fieler Automotive
Fired Up Creative Lounge
First Baptist Church
First Congregational Church
Fiscal Sponsorship Allies
Fletcher Recreation Park
Flat Rock Playhouse
From the Ashes Cultural Arts & Counseling
Globe Treks
GlocalSoul Edutainment
Grahamtown Team
GrandBLESSINGS
Guidon Brewing Company
Hands Enriching Lives Positively
Hands On! - A Child's Gallery
Happy Lotus Enterprise
Harry's Grill & Piggy's Ice Cream Parlor
Helping Hands Concrete & More
Henderson County & Thermal Belt Habitat for Humanity
Henderson County Council on Aging
Henderson County Foster Parents Association
Hendersonville Community Band
Hendersonville Kiwanis Club Foundation
Hendersonville Outfitters
Hendersonville Pediatrics
Hendersonville Portable Toilets
Hendersonville Toy Company
Hendersonville Waste Removal
Henn's Plant Farm
HERS
Highland Lake Property Management
Hillcrest Orchard
Hola Carolina
Holt Orchards
Homemade Pasta Noodles
Hope Coalition
Hope in Handwork Bodywork & Massage
Housing Assistance Corporation
Hulsey Media.
Hypercut Manufacturing
Inside Out
Interfaith Assistance Ministry
Isabella Clark
J & M Farms at Freeman Orchards
Jeremiah Robinson
Jewish Family Services of WNC
Jones Commercial Properties
Julia Darity
La Vida Loca
Lasting Treasures
LDR Carolinas
Leaders & Entrepreneurs: Advancement & Promotion of Girls
Literacy Connection
Love and Respect Community for Recovery and Wellness
Lulu's Consignment Boutique
M & T Distilling
Major Moments
Mia Vibes
Maria Young
Marked Tree Winery
Mary Dixson
Moe's Barbeque
MC Counseling & Consulting
Medical Loan Closet of Henderson County
Mike's on Main
Mimi's Mountain Mixes
Mind Your Business
Mini Batch Bakery
Mobility Matters Foundation
Monica McDaniel
Monte's Sub Shop
MountainTrue
Moutain Home Pottery
Mr. Maple
Museum of the Cherokee People
My Father's Storehouse
Narnia Studios
NECHAMA - Jewish Response to Disaster
Nero Coffee
Nnweyna Smith
OGSynergy Lifestyle and Culture
Oklawaha Brewing Company
One Dozen Who Care
Only Hope WNC
Pardee Hospital Foundation
Patricia Serrano
Peculiar Persona
Phyllis Utley
Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center
Pisgah Legal Services
Pinebrook Manor B&B Inn
Postero
Read to Succeed
Roxanna Pepper
Safelight
Saluda Community Land Trust
Samuel Soemardi
Shaunda Jackson
Shunyu Huang
Silver Fox Gallery
Sister Soul Sessions LLC
Southern Vision Alliance
St. James Episcopal Church
sweetFrog
Raspberry Fields
STM Multimedia
Stuttgart Motors
Tanisha Akinloye
The Baker's Box
The Beehive Resale
The Doula of Entrepreneurship
The Henderson
The Hope Center
The Mediation Center
The Mountain Community School
The North Carolina Arboretum Society
The Trolley Company of NC
Thomas Priester, Jr
Thrive
Tiece M. Ruffin
Tierra Fertil Coop
Torre White
Trailside Brewing
True Ridge
Twisted Apple
Umi Japanese Restaurant
Underground Baking Company
Upper Hickory Nut Gap Community Center
Unidxs Western North Carolina
Valiant Fabrics
WagWorld Dog Resort
White Duck Taco -Hendersonville
Willow Falls
WNC Air Museum
WNC Woods Management
WNCSource
World Central Kitchen