Hurricane Helene Relief
(photos courtesy of Kristy Carter of TPD, Inc.)
A Message from the NCSITE President
By now, we have all seen the destruction that Hurricane Helene has left in our beautiful North Carolina mountains. The NCSITE Board has been in touch with several members in the western part of our state to carefully determine how our organization can best serve the needs of both the urban and rural communities impacted by this tragedy. Luckily, the members we spoke to are safe and have the means to survive the coming months, albeit with some challenges. However, others in their communities are not so lucky. We heard stories of local restaurant owners (Lured Market & Grill) who are serving meals for free and allowing emergency personnel to run operations out of their building; local hotels and inns who are housing workers and volunteers for free; people gathering water from streams to use to flush their toilets; requests for portable toilets – a need that is unimaginable for a first-world country like ours; and the realization that a significant portion of Asheville and other communities may not have running water for months. The NCSITE board has been carefully considering the ways in which we can best serve the community and make a meaningful impact.
We have decided to take a three-fold approach:
- Donations: The immediate need is donations, both monetary and physical. We have compiled a list of organizations, all of which were suggested by NCSITE members, and physical goods that are in need right now and long-term. You can find these lists here.
(Quick disclaimer: inclusion on the list linked above is not an endorsement by NCSITE. If you would like to submit additional charities or funds for inclusion, please email [email protected].) - Boots-on-the-Ground: NCSITE is a volunteer organization and we have many members who are passionate about volunteering in the community. We want to contribute by serving in that way. Click here to learn more about signing up for our Helene Relief Weekend on July 25-26, 2025.
NCSITE is also working with Zaki Mustafa, former ITE International president who now runs the charity “Transforming a Life”. His organization donates coats to “friends in need”, as he describes them. He has committed to sending $2,500 worth of coats to Western North Carolina and has pledged $1,000 for NCSITE to spend on relief supplies. The Board is currently determining how best to spend that money. We are so grateful to Zaki for his generosity.
Lastly, each one of the members we spoke to in Western NC were so incredibly grateful for all of the outpouring of support that they have seen from so many people across the state and country. In a world that seems more divided than ever, events like this (unfortunate as they are) show us that people are still good and we can come together as a community, and an organization, to support our neighbors.
Please continue to keep the residents of Western NC in your thoughts and prayers. I look forward to seeing you all at the Annual Meeting.
Kellie Reep
