Local Donation Opportunities
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, our mountain communities experienced historical flooding and damage. We know so many of you care deeply for our area and are looking for ways to help. We’ve provided some links below that are accepting monetary donations and are great local organizations & businesses to support. For physical donations of items, we recommend reaching out directly to coordinators at these drop-spots. The areas with deepest need in our county are hard-to-reach, so distribution centers are collecting items and sending out supplies with locals who know the roads well. Since many of these centally-located distribution centers are churches or people’s personal businesses that are operating relying entirely on volunteers, it’s very important to contact people at these distribution centers before you come so they can be prepared to accept donations, and so you can know exactly what the needs are at each center.
Thank you so much for caring for our home and the people who live here!
Azafrán Chef 💙 - Dear friends who have lost their whole business. They have catered many events at the winery, including our Winemaker’s Dinner on September 21st, just a week before the devastation of Helene occured.
Plēb Urban Winery 🍷 - A winery in Asheville that we know and love whose entire building was washed away. Many have you may have seen the video that includes their winery here.
Euda Wine 🍇 - A winery in Old Fort that our Linda, Lindsay, and Jess had the privilege to visit earlier this year. They took on significant flooding to their facility. As of now, there is not a donation option for them, but you can support them by purchasing a gift card from their website.
Feeding Avery Families 🌾 - a reputable non-profit organization serving Avery County specifically. They have served our county well for years, and are set up to serve our county for years to come.
Avery County Young Professionals ⛰ - This group serves the needs of Avery County in many capacities, but this Go Fund Me is specifically geared towards getting money into the hands of individuals and families most affected by the storm.
Catawba River Inn 🏡 - Riley, one of our beloved staff members here at the winery, along with her family are serving the community of North Cove, just a few short miles south of the winery. Wonderful people who love their community deeply!
Crossnore Volunteer Fire Department 🧑🚒 - Local fire department working to serve the needs of our county!
Linville Volunteer Fire Department 🧑🚒 - Local fire department working to serve the needs of our county!
Linville Central Rescue Squad 🌊 - An all-volunteer organization responding to medical emergencies and traumatic injuries in Avery County, NC, and providing technical mountain rescue, K9 search and recovery, and swift water rescue services to agencies across western North Carolina.
Green Valley Volunteer Fire Department 🧑🚒 - Local fire department working to serve the needs of our county!
Help rebuild DT’s Blue Ridge Java ☕️ - This beloved local coffee shop just celebrated their 20 year anniversary and is a cornerstone of the Spruce Pine community, which was absolutely devastated by the hurricane.
Help Rebuild Spruce Pine Main Street 🚂 - Spruce Pine was deeply affected by the hurricane, destroying local businesses beyond what we thought possible.
“Project Do Good” - Boone Area 🌈 - An ongoing local fundraiser that serves the Boone community each year, this year the focus is toward families most affected by the hurricane.
High Country Food Hub ☀️ - “Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is a women-led organization that builds an equitable, sustainable High Country local food system by supporting producers and cultivating community connections that educate, inspire, and increase the demand for local food.”
Hospitality House 🏡 - “The mission of Hospitality House is to rebuild lives and strengthen community by providing a safe, nurturing, healthy environment in which individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty-related crises are equipped to become self-sufficient and productive.”
Farm Cafe in Downtown Boone 🌱 - “Your contribution sustains our mission to feed hungry adults and children nutritious, well-prepared food utilizing produce purchased from local farmers and purveyors! Help us build a more inclusive community in the High Country!!”
Samaritan’s Purse ✝️ - “Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Manna Foodbank - Asheville Area 🫲 - “Located in Asheville, North Carolina, is a private, not-for-profit service organization working to end food insecurity in the 16 counties of Western North Carolina, including the Qualla Boundary. MANNA links the food industry to over 200 partner pantries and other human service organizations to get food to thousands of families’ tables. We are a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. Together we can solve hunger.”
Lastly, we’ve found this link to be a great summary of additional information: