Six Ways to Help with Hurricane Helene Efforts from Here in Charleston
Where to drop donations (listed by area), how to buy chocolate, pottery, and coffee to support affected WNC-based small businesses, and a few Asheville-based animal orgs looking for help, too!
I’ve been thinking so much about those whose homes and businesses have been devastatingly affected by Hurricane Helene, especially those in Asheville and the surrounding areas. I was going to wrap this into the usual Weekly Specials CHS newsletter tomorrow, but as of Wednesday at 2pm, the list of ways to get involved is SO long that this needs to be its own email.
In the midst of the overwhelming scale of the devastation, it’s been inspiring to see how the Charleston community, especially our restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, and small businesses have mobilized to help those affected.
There are SO many opportunities to help from here in Charleston, whether you can donate funds, goods, or can support businesses that are affected or donating a portion of their profits this week. Here are just a few ways to contribute whatever you can to relief efforts:
Donate supplies
No matter where you live in Charleston, there’s likely a drop off point near you right now. I’ve organized the below by area to make it easy.
Downtown Charleston and Brewery District/Park Circle
Cleats and the Whale are accepting supplies through the weekend. Find times in the post below. I learned today 10/3 that they are really in need of: camping supplies, matches, can openers, adult diapers, and toiletries. Drop off at Cleats through Monday (10am-10pm daily) and the Whale tomorrow through Sunday (noon to close). There’s an address in the post below if you’d like to send items for delivery via Instacart, Costco, Sam’s Club, etc.
Firefly Distillery is collecting goods in their Gift Shop area through Friday and Monday through Wednesday of next week. See their requested items here.
Record Stop on King Street is taking donations like water, canned goods and baby supplies all week until Friday evening. You can get 10% off of your purchase when you bring in donations. I just dropped off some diapers, formula and water there today!
Also on King Street, the Drip Lounge is accepting items (not water as it’s too heavy!) though Friday at noon. Check out their IG post for more info on what donations they can and can’t accept.
Commonhouse Aleworks is collecting donations for Western NC through 10/7! Check out their IG post for more on what they’re collecting.
The RiverDogs are collecting donations in the parking lot at Joe Riley stadium from tomorrow through next Wednesday, October 9th! Their goal is to fill THREE semi trucks with goods! Find more info below.
Moe’s Crosstown Tavern is collecting supplies through this weekend for Western NC, including canned food, bottled water, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and first aid kits.
All four Charleston Home Team BBQ locations are accepting donations through Sunday to relay to Cleats and the RiverDogs.
Alcove Market in the Jasper building will be a donation drop-off location through the weekend into next week! They’re taking things like flashlights, batteries, baby diapers and supplies, and paper towels and paper products like plates, bowls, etc.
Mount Pleasant
Bring donations to Hobcaw Brewing through 9pm October 4th. See more info on their Instagram post here. They will be taking goods to the Carolina Emergency Response Team to transport.
WCBD News 2 is doing a supply drive this Wednesday through Friday from 7am-7pm at their studios (address below). Supplies will be transported to the areas affected in Upstate SC.
West Ashley/Johns Island/James Island/Folly Beach area
Kultura and Baguette Magic are collecting donations in multiple ways. Drop off donations directly at either Baguette Magic location during business hours (p.s., they are looking right now for gas cans specifically!) You can also venmo @baguettemagic to donate or shop their Helene Registry on Amazon. Kultura also shared the GoFundMe for Luis Martinez, the chef at Taqueria Rosita in West Asheville, who is bringing water, food, diapers and other supplies to Asheville and surrounding areas.
Bearcat in West Ashley is accepting donations from now through Saturday, from noon to midnight each day. Learn more here.
Lowtide Brewing is accepting donations dropped off in their taproom through Monday October 7th.
The owner of Millers All Day was just in Asheville on Tuesday and they’re headed back Saturday. They’re taking donations again at their James Island TOMORROW (Friday) from 7am-4pm. Their contacts there are most in need of: hazmat suits, insulin, and, very sadly, body bags. They’re also requesting items like sturdy gloves, shovels, N95 masks, gently worn scrubs in size medium and large, diapers, formula, baby wipes and food, cat litter and cat food, dog food, feminine products, ibuprofen, Tylenol, solar lanterns, batteries, ramen noodles and canned food. To hear from owner Nathan Thurston about his trip on Tuesday, including how the roads were, check out their latest Reel. They have also launched a Disaster Relief Fund with the goal of raising $10k by October 30th.
Bowens Island Restaurant is hosting a fundraiser on Friday from 6-9pm and will be collecting supplies there. See more info on the fundraiser and the supplies they’ll accept as donations in their IG post here.
Crosby’s Fish & Shrimp on Folly Road is accepting donations through this Saturday at noon to take to Asheville. They’ll also be donating a portion of their sales this week to Water Mission. Check out their post for more on what to donate.
Donate to businesses that are matching funds
The Terrace Theatre will be matching any cash donations made to the Red Cross to help those affected by Helene. Send a screenshot of your receipt to amy@terracetheater.com
Odd Duck Market is matching donations for the week of 10/1 up to $2,000 for the Appalachian foothills.
Help food & beverage workers
Southern Smoke Foundation is a non-profit that supports food and beverage workers nationwide, and they have an emergency relief fund available for folks affected by Hurricane Helene. Their funding can help F&B workers to pay for groceries, repair damages to homes, or help to cover medical bills and lost wages due to missing work. If you work in F&B, find more info below and apply here. If you want to contribute, donate here.
Support businesses affected by Helene
BUY COFFEE: Sightsee is encouraging folks to order whole bean coffee from Summit Coffee (has a location in Asheville’s River Arts District - see below), Rowan Coffee, Pollen (they also have a GoFundMe for their staff), Farewell, Orchard Coffee Roasters in Waynesville, and Cooperative Coffee Roasters (sharing their GoFundMe here as well).
BUY POTTERY: East Fork, my absolute favorite pottery company, is headquartered in Asheville and is launching a sale in order to pay their staff and any non-deferrable bills. They’re doing 30% off of seconds and overstock inventory and will ship orders as soon as they can resume operations.
BUY CHOCOLATE: Asheville-based French Broad Chocolate will have to pause operations while utilities are down, and they are asking that folks help by purchasing some of their current inventory at their Distribution Center, which was not damaged. Learn more from their IG post here.
BUY GIFT CARDS FOR SKIN AND BODY CARE PRODUCTS: Heilbron Herbs’ studio in Marshall, NC was completely destroyed. While they get back up and running, they say that buying gift cards will help buy them a little time!
BUY SPICES: Spicewalla is headquartered in Asheville - their store there is closed and they also had to pause all of their online orders due to Hurricane Helene. Spicewalla recently opened a Charleston store on John Street, and you can help them by shopping in person!
DayTrip is a bar in Asheville that just opened less than a month ago. The owners put their life savings into launching the business, and they’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign to support their employees and eventually rebuild.
Support Charleston-based businesses donating to relief efforts
The kind folks at Welton’s Tiny Bakeshop are donating 10% of all sales this week to the aforementioned Southern Smoke Foundation.
A bunch of breweries and wine distributors are coming together to raise glasses (and funds) for NC. Through Friday, Munkle, Revelry Brewing, Edmunds Oast Brewing Co. and Restaurant, Coast Brewing, and Imbibe Advintage will be donating a dollar for every print sold. Then, on Friday, it sounds like construction company ES Integrated will match EVERYTHING raised at that point. All funds benefit Water Mission.
Locally owned female-run dog accessory company Covey Collection is donating a portion of proceeds for the rest of the week to All Hands and Hearts, who are currently on the ground in Asheville.
For the month of October, Hotel Emeline is donating to the Red Cross for every pizza purchased at Frannie & the Fox, every cold brew at Clerks, and every Emeline candle they sell in their shop.
Bevi Bene Brewing Co. is donating a portion of proceeds in October to belovedasheville.com, an Asheville-based non-profit.
Brown Fox Coffee in Mount Pleasant is donating all profits through Sunday to Water Mission.
Chubby Fish is donating a portion of their Koji wine sales for the month of October to the Southern Smoke Foundation. It’s my favorite wine at Chubby Fish, a delicious Sauvignon Blanc (doesn’t hurt that the bottle is so cute, too!)
For the month of October, Counter Cheesemongers in North Chalreston will be sending 10% of all in shop cheese sales to Looking Glass Creamery a farm in Columbus SC that has been without power since the storm.
Help animals and rescue organizations affected
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is a wonderful non-profit helping animals in the Asheville area, and they’re reporting that “raging flood water reached the top of our buildings, swallowing our vehicles and destroying any resources left.” You can donate here.
Asheville Humane Society recently transported over 100 animals by plane to safety, but there are still animals in their care! They’re seeking donations and also have an Amazon wishlist.
Support farmers
Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) has just established a Hurricane Helene Farmer Relief Fund and 100% of the funds raised will go directly to support farmers impacted by the hurricane.
If you’re looking for even more ways to be part of the relief and rebuilding efforts, Blue Ridge Public Radio has a comprehensive list of organizations, too. World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is also on the ground in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee to provide food and water to folks who need it.
I’ll try to keep this list as updated as possible throughout the weekend! I’m happy to add any other resources that I might have missed or forgotten, too. Let me know in a comment or send me a message directly.