Sign me up for updates. Sign up now
When Hurricane Helene struck, it was clear that the road to recovery would require all hands on deck. At United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County (UWABC), our staff immediately came together to do what we do best: connect volunteers, partners, and resources to respond to our community’s needs. Through our online volunteer website Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, we mobilized an incredible network of volunteers to support our communities recovery efforts.
Our recent video, Volunteers See Us Through, highlights just a fraction of the outstanding work these volunteers accomplished. From running a donation warehouse to sorting and distributing essential supplies, their dedication was extraordinary.
“Very quickly, we realized we would be able to start a warehouse,” shared Denise, our Volunteer Engagement Manager. “We started to receive a lot of items and had many volunteers respond to sort and distribute those items to all of our partners."
The effort required a massive response—at one point, we were hosting 80 volunteers a day. Volunteers came not only from our community but from across the nation, bringing their skills, time, and compassion. Business partners like Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Realty stepped up, too. Bill Miller, a realtor and forklift operator, spent full days for weeks moving donations from trucks into the hands of other volunteers.
As Bill puts it, “When you make a living in the community, you give back to the community. That’s what we do through United Way.”
This response is just one example of the work UWABC continues to do. By building partnerships and creating meaningful opportunities through Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, we are growing our volunteer base and ensuring that every individual’s skills can make an impact. We are built for this work, and together, we’ll continue to rise to meet our community’s needs.
Watch Volunteers See Us Through to see the heart of volunteerism in action. We’re grateful for every single person who stepped up to support our partners and neighbors during such a critical time.
To volunteer, sign up via Hands-On Asheville Buncombe
Like this video? We think you'll enjoy this one too
Sign up for our Newsletter and get more stories like this delivered directly to your inbox. Click here!
