Duke Energy supports western North Carolina recovery efforts with $500,000 in grants to local nonprofits
Summary
Funding will support home rebuilding, debris removal, mental health services and other community needs Grants of $25,000 each awarded to 20 high-impact local nonprofits focused on long-term recoveryCHARLOTTE, N.C. As part of its commitment to supporting a full recovery in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, Duke Energy Foundation today announced $500,000 in new funding to 20 local nonprofits.The organizations receiving funding are meeting expansive community needs, including completing structural repairs, building new homes and rebuilding damaged ones, removing storm debris, providing mental health services, rehabilitating waterways and more.The Mountain Strong Yancey and Mitchell County Relief Team, which established a field hospital in the aftermath of the storm, is now meeting the communitys long-term needs, including repairing private access roads damaged by flooding.This support will have a direct and meaningful impact on our community, allowing us to repair critical access ways and back roads that serve multiple families and connect residents to essential locations including grocery stores, schools and medical clinics, said Carol Tyler, who serves as the groups president. Reliable infrastructure is the backbone of a resilient community, and with this funding, we will be able to ensure safer, more dependable routes for those who rely on them daily.Asheville-based GreenWorks is helping property owners who do not qualify for traditional disaster assistance programs remove flood debris.Many property owners who still need help with flood debris removal do not have the resources needed to clean up their properties, said Eric Bradford, director of operations. Duke Energys support will help fill that gap and meet the needs of many residents who suffered damage from Hurricane Helene.Six months after Hurricane Helenes impact, Duke Energy continues working to rebuild infrastructure, protect grid reliability and assist customers and communities as they recover.In the face of Helenes historic damage, we have been in awe of the resilience and teamwork of our mountain communities, said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energys North Carolina president. As we work to restrengthen the electric grid in western North Carolina, we will continue joining together with nonprofit partners to help build back our communities piece by piece.A video update from Bowman on Duke Energys approach to grid restrengthening and long-term recovery in western North Carolina is available here.A list of all organizations receiving $25,000 grants can be found below. Friends of the Land of Sky Regional CouncilDuke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work.