03/29/2024
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femaIn the wake of a disaster, the people of North Carolina have always come together with compassion and courage to ask how they can help survivors.

After a disaster, because people in various communities come forward to assist family, friends and neighbors in need, there may be a belief that survivor needs are being met everywhere in the state. However, there is a shortage of volunteers particularly in the hardest-hit counties in North Carolina. Your help is needed.

There are many ways to volunteer. You can find a list of the various groups and agencies who are currently assisting survivors on the North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster website at https://www.ncvoad.org. Look under Volunteer Now to find a way you can be part of the ongoing recovery effort. NC VOAD member agencies welcome the efforts of volunteers. Contact the group’s members now. Or sign up to work with our active members in disaster recovery; it lists the voluntary opportunities by county and by agency.

“North Carolinians have always gone above and beyond to help each other in times of crises,” said Mike Sprayberry, director of North Carolina Emergency Management. “Already numerous people have come forward to help those in need, but we need more. Whether it is volunteering your time or making a donation, you can make a difference in someone’s life and help our state recover.”

FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Libby Turner agreed.

“North Carolinians have a strong sense of community,” she said. “They look after one another and they certainly have demonstrated that instinct after Hurricane Matthew. However, much remains to be done; in some ways we are just getting started. Voluntary organizations are providing vital assistance to those affected by the flooding, meeting needs that are beyond what government agencies can provide, but those organizations really need more help.”

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Volunteers and Donations Needed in NC for Disaster Recovery-Page 2

If you are unable to volunteer your time or skills, recovery officials suggest making a monetary donation to an organization involved in disaster recovery as an effective and efficient way of contributing.

Cash contributions to voluntary organizations make good sense for a number of reasons:

  • Financial contributions help ensure a steady flow of important services to survivors.
  • Local organizations spend the money in the local affected community, accelerating its economic recovery.
  • Cash donations, rather than unsolicited donated goods, avoid the complicated, costly and time-consuming process of collecting, transporting and distributing these goods.
  • Cash donations to recognized relief organizations are tax-deductible.

Gov. Pat McCrory has activated the NC Disaster Relief Fund to which monetary contributions may be made. To make a donation, visit http://ncdisasterrelief.org/.

You also may text NCRECOVERS to 30306. All donations will support Hurricane Matthew’s long-term recovery efforts in North Carolina.

Information is available under the “Hurricane Matthew – Donate Now” on the North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NCVOAD) website at https://www.ncvoad.org.

You can learn more about volunteering and its benefits by viewing a video at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/videos/112533.

Volunteering and donating through existing channels, and making responsible decisions that do not hinder the recovery, is the best way to be of service.

For more information on the North Carolina recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4285 and readync.org. Follow FEMA on Twitter @femaregion4 and North Carolina Emergency Management @ncemergency.

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