(The Center Square) – Baptists on Mission and Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity share half of $9 million in grants awarded from money appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly for Hurricane Helene disaster relief.
The first fiscal aid package signed in March by first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and fourth approved by the Republican majority chambers included these funds within its $524 million total. A second package this calendar year in June pushed the total appropriation from the Legislature to more than $2.1 billion.
Lawmakers say more is on the way. All 14 entities getting grants in Thursday’s announcement are volunteer organizations.
“Our volunteer organization partners are part of the State Emergency Response Team precisely because of their unwavering support,” said Will Ray, director of the state’s Emergency Management within the Department of Public Safety. “We appreciate the Legislature helping to support the operations of these crucial partners in the recovery process.”
An application process was open for eligible organizations. Another funding opportunity is coming “in the near future,” said a release from Stein’s office.
Baptists on Mission, formerly known as North Carolina Baptist Men, has 19 ministries and is an auxiliary of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Its projects have a global reach. With $2.5 million, its Helene Rebuild program will complete a number of projects in the western part of the state.
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity is using its $2 million award for work in Buncombe and Madison counties in a project known as Disaster Home Repairs for Hurricane Impacted Homeowners in WNC.
Taxpayer money in the other dozen awards went to First United Methodist Church Waynesville ($850,000): Appalachian Service Project ($700,000); Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders ($700,000); Operation Helo ($500,000); All Hands All Heart ($435,000); Housing Assistance Corp. ($300,000); Western North Carolina Conference of United Methodist Church ($300,000); Transylvania Habitat for Humanity ($280,000); Camp Grier ($250,000); Henderson County Thermal Belt Habitat ($225,000); Ashe County Recovery & Restoration ($244,000); and Avery County Amy Wellness Foundation ($100,000).
The storm killed 108 in North Carolina, 237 in the South, and caused estimated damage between $60 billion and $80 billion in the state. The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2024.
It was expected to come north to the Appalachian Mountains; however, the rainfall total from its dissipation there exceeded all forecasts. Some places got more than 30 inches, most were at 24 inches or more. Due to terrain, water often rushed before it pooled and flooded – very unlike the flooding from hurricanes that happens in the coastal plains.
