Governor Stein Announces $9 Million In Grants To 14 Nonprofit Volunteer Organizations Helping to Rebuild Western North Carolina

Today Governor Stein announced that 14 nonprofit Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs) have received more than $9 million in grants for housing repair and reconstruction projects to aid in the recovery of western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.

"More than a year has passed since Hurricane Helene, and we are fortunate that so many volunteer organizations have stepped up to help their neighbors in need," said Governor Josh Stein. "Their tireless work is critical to our ongoing efforts to get western North Carolinians back in their homes."

"Our volunteer organization partners are part of the State Emergency Response Team precisely because of their unwavering support of the 10.8 million people who call North Carolina home, including the 3.5 million people in the western region of our state," said Emergency Management Director Will Ray. "We appreciate the legislature helping to support the operations of these crucial partners in the recovery process."

Any volunteer organizations actively involved in ongoing repair and reconstruction projects in the Helene-impacted counties that fell under the Federal Disaster Declaration were eligible to apply. These grants were made available through the North Carolina General Assembly's passage of S.L. 2025-2. The General Assembly recently added an additional $18 million in funding to this program to support volunteer organizations, and a new notice of funding opportunity will be released in the near future to continue the granting of awards supporting recovery.

In January 2025, Governor Stein announced an award of an additional $6 million in grants split between Baptists on Mission and Habitat for Humanity. Using these state-funded grants, these organizations have together already completed repairs on more than 500 homes.

The following organizations were awarded grants through this funding:

• All Hands All Hearts (AHAH) - Granted $435,000 for its Resilient Repairs for Vulnerable Households project working in Buncombe and Haywood counties, which will repair or replace roofs, doors, windows, plumbing, sewer, and/or electrical on 25 to 30 homes a year.
• Ashe County Recovery & Restoration - Granted $244,000 for work in Ashe County to repair or replace septic, roofing, and flooring.
• Appalachian Service Project - Granted $700,000 for the WNC Helene Recovery project to repair homes in Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties.
• Avery County Amy Wellness Foundation - Granted $100,000 for repairs in Avery County addressing urgent structural, electrical, plumbing, weatherproofing, and home access needs for 10 to 20 homes.
• Baptists on Mission - Granted $2.5 million for its Helene Rebuild program aimed at completing a large number of projects across western North Carolina.
• Camp Grier - Granted $250,000 for the Old Fort Strong Home Repair & Restoration Initiative, which plans to repair approximately 12 homes with the most critical needs in the area.
• Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders - Granted $700,000 for its WNC Helene Repair and Reconstruction project, which will replace and rebuild homes in Buncombe, McDowell, and Yancy counties, as well as build new homes in Black Mountain.
• Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity - Granted $2 million for its Disaster Home Repairs for Hurricane Impacted Homeowners in WNC project in Buncombe and Madison counties.
• Transylvania Habitat for Humanity - Granted $280,000 for its Helene Home Elevation Project-MH Resilience Initiative, which plans to elevate 10 mobile homes impacted by flooding from the Davidson and French Broad rivers.
• Henderson County Thermal Belt Habitat - Granted $225,000 to complete eight critical home repairs in the Henderson County area.
• Housing Assistance Corporation - Granted $300,000 for their Disaster Home Repair program to repair at least 20 homes in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties.
• Operation Helo - Granted $500,000 for its Restoring Roots & Rebuilding Lives program to provide repairs for 20 to 30 homes in the Maiden area.
• FUMC Waynesville - Granted $850,000 for its Rebuild Haywood program to repair and replace homes in the Waynesville area.
• Western NC Conference of United Methodist Church - Granted $300,000 to repair and replace homes in the highest-impacted counties of western North Carolina.