A young restaurant worker, back at work but struggling to catch up on bills, was thrilled to have funds for rent.
A family planned a shopping trip because everyone's shoes were ruined while cleaning up their flooded home.
An elderly woman who lost cell service at her home will get her landline repaired.

And from one of our partner nonprofits: "From the very beginning, your kind donation of space provided us with a vital hub for coordinating relief efforts and welcoming those in need. Your connections to dedicated volunteers have strengthened our capacity to reach more individuals, and your financial support, including the provision of gift cards, has allowed us to address urgent needs swiftly and effectively. Your commitment to community resilience is truly inspiring."

These are just a few of the stories made possible by donors like you.

Aisha Shepherd, VP of Community Engagement, visits the team at the Big Ivy Community Center, providing direct assistance funds to support their community.

UWABC has a long history of raising funds for important community work. Our team has already raised over $5M for relief and recovery efforts in Buncombe County, but we have much more to do with an estimated 8-10-year recovery period ahead of us.

Where Will Those Dollars Go?

As Hurricane Helene funds grow, we will use them to support the following priority areas:

30% Relief Work — meeting the urgent needs of our community, including support for nonprofits and direct assistance to families
60% Recovery Work — strategic funding to address mid to long-term recovery
10% United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County's relief and recovery work

Early Investments

We've already distributed more than $1.5M in Relief funding. $165K went to help current nonprofit partners—many of whom support vulnerable youth throughout our community. $630K provided direct assistance to individuals and families, and another $785K went to urgent needs work (including direct assistance to families) by local nonprofit and community organizations.

Recovery Stage Funding

The Recovery funding of at least $3M will address the hurricane's longer-term impacts. We expect decisions related to this process to begin in December.

UNITED is the Way! Thank you for helping us serve our community.

Buncombe County Helene Relief and Recovery

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County's Giving Tuesday Campaign