Cold weather essentials to be shared with families impacted by Helene
Hurricane Helene devastated a huge swath of our state. The images will fill the daily headlines for the foreseeable future.
In Charlotte-Mecklenburg, most of us were spared significant impact. Some lost power for a day or so, and certainly some homes were damaged. But, weeks later, many Western NC families are still without modern necessities like power, water, and heat. Others have lost everything and have no home at all.
Still, there is hope. There is hope in the stories of people coming together to meet each other’s needs—the countless individuals rallying supplies, the private pilots transporting essentials, and so many of you continuing to ask, “How can we help?”
Here at Crisis Assistance Ministry, our mission is focused on the specific crisis of housing stability in Mecklenburg County. BUT, we have resources to help address some of the urgent needs of our Western NC neighbors. How can we NOT help?
Every year, we collect thousands of coats for distribution through our Free Store and Partner Agency Network. Temperatures have dropped while there are still thousands without power and/or water in about ¼ of our state. We can help keep people warm by sharing the cold weather gear—hats, gloves, coats, blankets—so generously donated by our community.
- Individuals and families who were displaced to the Charlotte area are invited to shop at the Free Store for essentials including clothing, shoes, coats, blankets, and small household goods. Details on shopping: http://crisisassistance.org/freestore
- Partnering with organizations already working to meet urgent needs in the region, a portion of all cold weather gear received this season will be sent to the West to aid individuals and families affected by Helene.
- Crisis Assistance Ministry staff are conducting an internal drive to kickstart the supply of cold weather items, and WSOC-TV is conducting its annual coat collection through December.
How You Can Help
Individuals and groups are invited to drop off new or gently-used coats, hats, gloves, blankets, and other cold weather essentials at Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Donation Drive Thru at 500-A Spratt Street, Tuesday – Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and Saturday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. or to WSOC-TV on Wednesday, December 11, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Financial donations for hurricane relief should be directed to organizations whose mission is focused on disaster recovery in the region. The City of Charlotte offers a few recommendations on its Hurricane Helene Recovery page.