Hurricane Helene Relief: Direct Relief Grants $350,000 in Emergency Funds to Health Providers in North Carolina, Florida

Mobile health providers at Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers, with Direct Relief-donated field medic packs. The organization is providing community care in western North Carolina area after Hurricane Helene. The organization has received a $25,000 emergency operating grant and a wide array of requested medical support, along with 13 other nonprofit health partners responding throughout the southeastern U.S. (Photo courtesy of Appalachian Mountain Community Health Center)

Responders to Hurricane Helene with Direct Relief medical packs — Mobile health providers at Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers, with Direct Relief-donated field medic packs. The organization is providing community care in western North Carolina area after Hurricane Helene. The organization has received a $25,000 emergency operating grant and a wide array of requested medical support, along with 13 other nonprofit health partners responding throughout the southeastern U.S. (Photo courtesy of Appalachian Mountain Community Health Center)

By Brea Burkholz

October 7, 2024

In response to the severe impacts of Hurricane Helene, Direct Relief is providing $350,000 in emergency grant funding to support 14 health organizations across North Carolina and Florida. Each organization will receive $25,000 to help ensure that essential healthcare services remain accessible to the communities hardest hit by the storm.

Hurricane Helene has left a trail of devastation, with widespread flooding, extensive power outages, and significant infrastructure damage in both states. The destruction has created major roadblocks to healthcare access, leaving vulnerable populations, including those with chronic health conditions, struggling to obtain the care they need. Many health centers, free clinics, and charitable pharmacies have been forced to close or operate with limited resources due to damaged facilities, flooded roads, and unstable power supplies, further exacerbating the crisis.

The emergency grants provided by Direct Relief will enable health centers to restore operations quickly by covering the costs of critical supplies, medications, staffing, and other resources necessary to continue serving their patients. With the support of these funds, the centers can maintain care for those who depend on them for services ranging from chronic disease management and mental health support to prenatal care and emergency medical treatment.

The grant recipient organizations are:

AppHealthcare, Sparta, NC

Appalachian Mountain Health, Asheville, NC

Blue Ridge Health, Hendersonville, NC

Community Care Clinic, Salisbury, NC

Good Samaritan Clinic, Morganton, NC

High Country Community Health, Boone, NC

Hot Springs Health Program, Marshall, NC

Kintegra Health, Gastonia, NC

Mountain Area Health Education Center, Asheville, NC

Mountain Community Health Partnership, Bakersville, NC

NC MedAssist, Charlotte, NC

Oceana Community Health, Boynton Beach, FL

WestLife Wellness, Collettsville, NC

Western North Carolina Community Health Services, Asheville, NC

Direct Relief’s emergency grant funding is part of a broader response effort, which includes the provision of material medical aid. To date, Direct Relief has provided more than $400,000 in medicines and medical supplies to healthcare providers in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Direct Relief remains committed to supporting health centers, free clinics, and charitable pharmacies in providing uninterrupted care as recovery efforts continue.

Licensed to distribute prescription medications nationwide, including North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia, Direct Relief runs the country’s largest nonprofit charitable medicines program, providing donations of medications and supplies to serve low-income, uninsured patients at more than 1,600 nonprofit health centers and clinics on an ongoing basis and in emergency situations.