Mitchell County, NC was one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Helene and needs your support. With a twenty-year record of serving the people of Mitchell County, the Mitchell County Development Foundation offers a trusted way to support recovery efforts countywide.
Supporting Mitchell County, NC after Hurricane Helene
PROGRESS TO DATE
Since Helene devastated Mitchell County in September 2024, the Mitchell County Development Foundation's Small Business Resiliency Fund has awarded $1,273,700.00 in grants to 53 Mitchell County Businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene.
To date, over half of these businesses have fully or partially reopened with many of the remaining businesses planning to complete repairs by the end of 2025.
While we are proud of the work we have accomplished to date—and deeply grateful to the foundations, businesses, residents and friends who have supported this work—we realize there is still much more to be done in order to fully rebuild.
Please read more below to learn about our significant progress to date… and the work that still lies ahead.
OUR STORY: TOLD BY THOSE WHO LIVED THROUGH THE STORM
While it is hard to describe the devastation Helene left, the irrepressible spirt of mountain people is also impossible to ignore. This video shares what we’ve made it through and—even more importantly—our call to action regarding what lies ahead.
THE NEED
The devastation to Mitchell County has been widely documented by FEMA (Disaster #4827), the US Small Business Administration (Disaster #NC-20007) and the national media—including NPR, 60 Minutes, Forbes as well as other outlets.
Unless we take bold action, the economic fallout to our community could be catastrophic. For example, almost half (43%) of small businesses affected by a disaster never reopen, and an additional 29% go out of business within 2 years according to FEMA.
Despite these sobering statistics, we know that there is hope for Mitchell County. Thanks to the gifts and support of generous donors, business leaders, and longtime friends of the our community, we are changing this story to help the small, independent businesses that make the Mitchell County so unique.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Mountaineers have always rallied to help their friends and neighbors; never more than during a crisis. This spirit—combined with the kindness of friends and strangers from afar—means that our community has come a long way in a very short period of time after the storm. But there is still so much work to be done.
The Mitchell County Development Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity and gifts to our efforts are tax-deductible. Our post-hurricane rebuilding effort bring together a vibrant cross-section of our community focused on supporting all of Mitchell County. This includes community leaders, education leaders, and business leaders. To learn more about our work, click here. To apply for funding, click here.
As mentioned above, we are happy to say that as of September 2025 we have distributed $1,273,700 to 53 businesses across Mitchell County. For complete details about this work, please click here. For information about upcoming grant cycles please click here.
We hope you will consider joining us by making a donation below. 100% of received funds will support post-hurricane rebuilding efforts across Mitchell County.
