How to bring Christmas cheer to children in Western North Carolina

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The Smoky Mountain Toy Run, an annual toy drive and motorcycle parade founded in 1981, was held last month to raise money and collect Christmas gifts for Asheville-based Eblen Charities’ Saint Nicholas Project. (Photo courtesy of Rey Castillo Jr.)

Last week, The Ledger published a buying guide for Western North Carolina businesses this holiday season. (If you’re looking for unique gifts that also support the mountain economy, take a look here.)

There is also the “Pottery market” will take place on December 14th in Charlotte at the Park Expo and Conference Center. Handcrafted pottery by more than 30 Western North Carolina artists will be for sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sounds like the perfect place to buy a gift and support local artists affected by the storm.

This season I have also been thinking about the children affected or displaced by Tropical Storm Helene. Hundreds of families have lost so much, and this holiday could look different for many.

Christmas is just a few weeks away, so some initiatives have already closed their donation windows, but I’ve rounded up a few ways you can still help families fill their children’s stockings and put presents under the tree:

• Unclaimed baggage: Country music stars Mark Herndon and Leah Seawright have teamed up with lost luggage store Unclaimed Baggage and its philanthropic arm Reclaimed for Good for a fundraiser called “Forgotten to Fulfilled: A Holiday Hope Project.” Donations can be made until December 14th to reach the goal of filling 1,000 stockings for families and children in North Carolina affected by Helene.

• Expansion of the NC cooperative: NC Cooperative Extension is participating in one Angel Tree Program for Western North Carolina. You can select items from one Amazon wish list and have them shipped to a Buncombe County location by Friday, December 13th.

• Eble Charities: Asheville-based nonprofit Eblen Charities and its Saint Nicholas Project are providing toys, clothing and other items to more than 1,900 families over the holidays. You can order gifts through one of the program’s online registries at Walmart, Target or Amazon.

• The Salvation Army: With The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Programyou can adopt a child and purchase the items on their Christmas list. To find an angel tree in Henderson, Polk or Transylvania counties, contact [email protected].

• Western North Carolina Toys for Toddlers: This weekend, families are invited to pick up toys for their children at one of the distribution locations. Last year, the campaign, run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation, provided Christmas gifts to 4,202 children across the region. There is still time to donate to the campaign.

• The Petty Family Foundation: Operation Appalachian Christmasoperated by the NASCAR Petty family, is accepting cash donations to support Western North Carolina with food, clothing, hygiene products and shelter this holiday season.

Here are the latest updates from Western North Carolina:

• FEMA provides temporary housing: FEMA reports that over 1,000 people in Buncombe County are housed in hotels as part of its transitional housing program, while 27 families are housed in FEMA units. A total of 100 temporary housing units were sent to North Carolina, with 46 households in 11 counties providing temporary housing. (WLOS)

• Unemployment rate increases: The unemployment rate in Western North Carolina jumped in October, with Buncombe County’s unemployment rate rising to 8.8% following the Helene devastation. The storm impacted businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, leading to job losses and a 70% drop in tourism revenue. While disaster-related unemployment claims are stabilizing, a housing shortage exacerbated by the storm is complicating the region’s economic recovery. (Asheville Citizen Times)

• Why we don’t know the names of the deceased: Tropical Storm Helene claimed 103 lives in North Carolina, but the names of the victims were not released by authorities. Citing incomplete investigations and privacy concerns, the NC Department of Health and Human Services promised names in “several months.” While state law allows access to autopsy reports, local agencies like Buncombe County leave it to the state to obtain information about victims. Over 80% of the fatalities were identified within two weeks of the storm, with most victims coming from WNC. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)

• Helene survivors resort to tents – or yurts: Temperatures will drop to freezing in western North Carolina. Many families who have lost their homes are living in donated yurts or shelters while they wait for FEMA assistance or for their homes to be rebuilt. Aid organizations emphasize the urgent need for permanent solutions as temporary shelters pose a risk of fires and hypothermia. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)

• Some displaced people move into “tiny huts”: groups like Cabins 4 Christ have worked to provide emergency shelter and rebuild damaged buildings. Volunteers and donations from across the country have helped build more than 90 cabins and repair homes. (Charlotte Observer)

• WNC Holiday Events: Blue Ridge Public Radio has compiled a list of holiday events and traditions that are still happening and open to the public. If you are planning a trip to the mountains, Check it out here.

• Teppers state to WNC: The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation, Coca-Cola and the Carolina Panthers brought their “Joy to the Carolinas” event to WD Williams Elementary in Swannanoa on Wednesday. The event included gifts for each student, support for local businesses and appearances from Panthers legends like former running back Jonathan Stewart. The Tepper Foundation has continued to support recovery efforts in Western North Carolina. (WLOS)

• Sneakers for a good cause: Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane highlighted Western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene during the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign. His sneakers featured logos for Manna Food Bank and Brother Wolf Animal Shelter, two nonprofits that support the area. (WLOS)

Lindsey Banks, a native of the Buncombe County town of Swannanoa, is a reporter at The Charlotte Ledger. Reach them at [email protected].

Many organizations have deployed groups across the region tasked with distributing food, water and relief supplies. You can donate to their efforts using the links below.

• Hearts with handsa local disaster relief organization, has a donation page to provide food, supplies and water.

• United Way of North Carolina has set up a fund to help residents affected by the flood.

• MANNA Food Bankwhich serves 16 counties in western North Carolina, is accepting food, supplies and monetary donations. The organization’s warehouse on Swannanoa River Road in Asheville was damaged by the hurricane.

• The American Red Cross is accepting donations to help residents in the Southeast.

• Samaritan’s pursewhich is headquartered in Boone, is planning volunteers to help clear debris.

• Operation Blessing has a donation page to provide food, supplies and water.

• E4E relief, A Charlotte-based provider of emergency financial assistance programs on behalf of businesses is accepting donations for its newly established Hurricane Helene Community Fund, providing financial assistance to individuals experiencing long-term impacts from Hurricane Helene.

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Editor-in-Chief: Tony Mecia; Senior Editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff author: Lindsey Banks; Managing Director: Brie Chrisman