The North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund made $625,000 in disaster recovery and resiliency grants since March for communities impacted by Hurricane Florence as the Fund wraps up response to this storm.

Grants made were:

• $25,000 to AMEXCAN to support Florence Relief for eastern North Carolina Latinos impacted by Hurricane Florence
• $25,000 to Citizens on Southside Together for the Hurricane Florence Rehabilitation Project
• $25,000 to the Columbus County Forum for recovery and resiliency in Southeastern NC in response to Hurricane Florence
• $25,000 to Disability Rights North Carolina for Disaster Displacement and Disability
• $25,000 to the Disaster Recovery Group of Duplin County to support home repairs, rebuilding, furnishings and appliances related to long term recovery needs from Hurricane Florence
• $25,000 to Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries for Hurricane Florence recovery and resiliency
• $25,000 to the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry for Mano Amiga, a disaster relief program in response to Hurricane Florence
• $25,000 to Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity for home repairs related to Hurricane Florence recovery in Cumberland County
• $42,500 to Genesis 457 Community Development Corporation for extension and/or expansion of the SHELL program for hurricane survivors in Craven, Pamlico and Jones counties, including funds to adapt program to accommodate social distancing requirements as needed
• $25,000 to Jones County RISE to support Hurricane Florence disaster recovery, repair and rebuilding
• $75,000 to Men and Women United for Youth & Families long-term recovery program, related to Hurricane Florence
• $40,000 to the NC Pro Bono Resource Center for disaster preparedness presentations, resource fairs, and extended pro bono services in counties impacted by Hurricane Florence
• $150,000 to NC State University for the Pollocksville Floodprint project
• $25,000 to Pender United, Inc for disaster planning building resilience through digital communication in response to Hurricane Florence
• $42,500 to Rebuilding Together of the Triangle to support continued disaster recovery/rebuilding work in Burgaw
• $25,000 to Wash Away Unemployment Inc. for transitional housing for Craven County for matters related to Hurricane Florence

Of these grants, $225,000 were made through a participatory grantmaking process in partnership with North Carolina Inclusive Disaster Recovery network, facilitated by Rural Forward NC, a program of the Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation. This process was open specifically for minority-led organizations, and the decisions were made by people who represent the communities that would benefit from the funding.

The North Carolina Community Foundation is deeply honored to provide this funding to nonprofits leading community recovery as we approach two years since Hurricane Florence, according to Leslie Ann Jackson, NCCF vice president of community investment and engagement. “We’re grateful to these organizations for the incredible work they’re doing to ensure our communities are not forgotten and continue to rebuild with fortitude,” she said.  “As we distribute our remaining dollars in response to Hurricane Florence, these grants reflect the persistent, long-term needs and a focus on resilience and planning.”

Two years after Hurricane Florence, many citizens in the impacted areas still have unmet needs, especially legally, according to Katherine Asaro the Disaster Legal Services program director for the NC Pro Bono Resource Center. “Through our grant from the North Carolina Community Foundation, we are able to match pro bono attorneys to help people in situations where they may be unable to afford legal assistance or are not eligible for legal aid for a variety of reasons,” she said. “It is an honor and privilege to help people in these situations and NCCF helped make that possible.”

In many communities, residents still feel disenfranchised and marginalized by government and support agency processes, according to Randolph Keaton, executive director of Men and Women United for Youth & Families. “In our case management model, we have been able to address the holistic needs of the family,” he said. “With our resource partners, we continue to refer for employment opportunities, education and skills training, mental health services and strengthening families counseling.”

It’s especially important to reflect on community recovery as we enter another hurricane season, according to Rod Martin, NCCF board chair. “Our communities are still recovering from the last storm, and we know more are coming,” he said. “It’s important we’re ready for relief and recovery and that’s why we’re so grateful to all the generous individuals who have given to support this fund, both in direct response to Hurricane Florence and since then in preparation for the next storm.”