Breaking Down the Three Phases of Aid After Hurricane Helene

With a death toll that has exceeded 160 people in six states, many areas across the South are still climbing out of the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Helene, especially North and South Carolina. As many roads and bridges are out, some areas are inaccessible. BBB Wise Giving Alliance notes that disasters such as this typically involve three phases and provide many opportunities to provide donations.     

Rescue Phase – This phase of relief gets the most media attention as well as emotional responses from donors. Trained rescue teams, law enforcement, federal workers, and others help to locate survivors that need immediate assistance. Boats travel across flooded areas seeking to help people and animals get to safety. These urgent activities took place immediately after Hurricane Helene passed and is lasting several days.

Relief Phase – The majority of donations are usually directed to organizations engaged in the relief phase. This involves providing shelter, meals, clothing, blankets, water and other essentials for victims and their families. Experienced disaster relief groups are generally the best at delivering these needs as quickly as possible to impacted communities. Some local charities can also be helpful as they already have a presence in the areas served, but may face challenges if a large number of people need help. Keep in mind that some families with destroyed and/or flooded homes may need to travel hundreds of miles to find an available hotel or friends/family members that have space.

Recovery Phase – The efforts to rebuild after the physical damage, especially a flooding event, is messy and challenging. Charities and others will be engaged in rebuilding roads, homes, schools, houses of worship, businesses and other community fundamentals. This involves time and huge sums of money. Unfortunately, these things take place after the headlines have passed and often don’t receive sufficient public attention and/or donations.

BBB Accredited Charities Supporting Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

The following BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) are engaged in activities to assist Hurricane Helene relief efforts. This list will be updated as additional efforts come to our attention. (Updated 10/10)

Heart of Giving Podcast: Mike Erwin on Building Health-Focused Communities for Veterans

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast features Mike Erwin, Executive Director, Team Red, White and Blue (a BBB Accredited Charity) which supports veterans as they prioritize their well-being by offering real-life and virtual opportunities to build a healthier lifestyle, with a strong focus on mental and physical health. The organization reports it has chapters across the country that enable veterans to connect in their communities.

Explore Three of Our Latest Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• Children's Cancer Foundation
• Mercy For Animals 
• National Center for Learning Disabilities 

Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.