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

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.

We are happy to say that on January 21, 2025 we made our first round of grants, supporting 29 local businesses with a total of $191,500.00. For complete details about this first round of grants, click here. The foundation’s second round of grants opened on March 25, 2005 and will close at midnight on April 15, 2025. To apply online to be considered for a grant, please fill out the online application form 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.