Since Hurricane Helene in September 2024, the American Red Cross has provided immediate emergency aid, over $17 million in direct financial assistance for long-term recovery, and grants to community partners in Western North Carolina. The organization adapted its services to reach isolated rural and mountain communities cut off by flooding and landslides, delivering specific supplies to help survivors.
Immediate disaster relief
- Emergency supplies: "Operation Mountain Hope" was created to provide essential, and sometimes unconventional, supplies to hard-to-reach areas. Teams navigated rubble-strewn roads in Yancey County, for example, to deliver supplies such as generators, spark plugs, water filtration systems, power banks, and cooking stoves.
- Shelter: Weeks after the hurricane, the Red Cross was still operating around 12 shelters in 9 counties for over 400 people. In total, the organization supported over 80 shelters across the state, providing nearly 20,000 overnight stays for people seeking refuge.
- Support for veterans: In East Asheville, the Veterans Restoration Quarters (VRQ) was destroyed by flooding. The Red Cross worked with the VRQ and the local VA to help displaced veterans, including delivering vital prescriptions and providing grants to community organizations for intermediate housing.
- Damage assessment: The Red Cross conducted nearly 14,000 door-to-door residential damage assessments in Western North Carolina to determine the extent of the damage.
- Direct financial aid: The Red Cross distributed more than $17 million in direct financial assistance to affected households across the impacted states. This included "Bridge Assistance," which provided flexible emergency funds for groceries, fuel, and temporary housing. In Brevard, North Carolina, one recipient used the aid for repairs to their flooded camper and for replacing damaged household items.
- Grants for local organizations: The Red Cross awarded grants to local partners for ongoing recovery efforts. One notable example is a $3 million grant to the AMY Wellness Foundation and the Community Foundation of Henderson County, supporting home repair and case management in Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties.
- Housing partnerships: In collaboration with the Appalachian Service Project (ASP), the Red Cross dedicated the first two of 100 planned homes for families affected by the hurricane.
- Community resource centers: The Red Cross provided crucial resources for community centers in remote areas. For instance, in Bee Log, Yancey County, the organization supplied an Automatic Electric Defibrillator (AED), well-testing kits, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and shelving units for a repurposed school building.
- Capacity building: The Red Cross invested in building the capacity of local Long-Term Recovery Groups (LTRGs). These community-led organizations are better prepared to respond to future disasters by retaining institutional knowledge.
- Responding to new risks: After Helene, downed timber increased the risk of wildfires. The Red Cross partnered with local and state organizations to provide additional resources, helping communities adapt to this new danger.
- Local volunteers: Over 800 disaster-trained volunteers are involved in the response, with around 150 from North Carolina. A mural honoring these volunteers now hangs in the Asheville chapter office.
As we gather on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 we enjoy the 30th annual breakfast and awards program with music by the veteran/military band - Queen City Jazz Group. Breakfast attendance includes access to the exhibits of the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.
DATE & TIME
Date: Friday, November 7, 2025
Time: 8:00am -- 9:30am (Doors open at 7:30am)
Location: Sullenberger Aviation Museum (4108 Minuteman Way, Charlotte 28208)
Tables/TICKETS
Heroes Host Table of 8 + 12 seats provided for Veterans/First Responders, with Program Listing $3000
Corporate Table of 8 with Program Listing $1300
Veteran / First Responder 8 seats $1030, 4 seats $530
Individual Seat $130 (limited availability)
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS
For information on event sponsorships contact Susan Yarber at 980-422-3733 or email syarber@carolinasfreedom.org
Each year, the Collins Freedom Foundation presents its prestigious Freedom Award to an individual or a group who has distinguished him/herself by serving our country and its citizens selflessly, and with total dedication to further the cause of freedom.
PAST PRESENTATIONS
A previous year's Freedom Award recipient was 10-year-old Myles Eckert from Ohio who in February 2014 found a $20 bill in the parking lot of an Ohio Cracker Barrel. Myles saw a service man in uniform and wrote him a note with the $20 bill enclosed, to pay it forward. Watch the video story below.
