NC Nurses Raise & Distribute More Than $66,000 in Helene Relief Aid

RALEIGH, N.C. - March 20, 2025 - PRLog -- Within days of Hurricane Helene devastating western North Carolina, the North Carolina Nurses Association and its 501(c)3, the North Carolina Foundation for Nursing, launched a fundraising campaign to give aid directly to nurses impacted by the storm. With the fundraising window closed and final aid distributions enroute, NCNA is pleased to announce that the NCFN Nurse Recovery Fund collected and distributed more than $66,000 to over 250 nurses.

Many nurses lost houses or vehicles and still figured out how to get to work at local hospitals or clinics. Some went for weeks without work; others lost their jobs entirely. The NCFN Nurse Recovery Fund was designed to help those nurses get back on their feet. All funds raised through the campaign were given directly to eligible nurses to use as needed.

"A massive landslide completely destroyed my home moving it downhill about 300 yards before crashing and caving in, while me and my family were in it," said one recipient. "The landslide also covered mine and my husband's vehicle."

NCNA and NCFN solicited applications via multiple channels statewide to ensure as many impacted nurses as possible had the opportunity to apply for aid. A blinded scoring system helped determine levels of impact, with the NCFN Board of Trustees ultimately providing some aid to all 251 nurses who qualified. Recipients received payments ranging from $50 to $2,500.

"We know we cannot fix everything for our colleagues who lost so much – but we felt strongly that it was important for the nurses impacted by Helene to see that their fellow nurses had their backs," said NCNA President Trish Richardson. "We understand how important it is for them to find a sense of normalcy in their lives, and our hope is that these checks can offer some relief and support in their recovery journey."

"NCFN is fortunate to have the support of NCNA members and donors, who understand the impact that any amount of money can have on the nurses in Western NC, both in their personal and professional lives, during such a devasting time," said NCFN President Gail Shue.

221 donors financed the Helene campaign, with several large donations helping NCNA and NCFN break previous fundraising records:

• FirstHealth of the Carolinas: over $16,700
• A charitable foundation that wished to remain anonymous: $10,000, with the request that the contribution be split equally between four recipients
• The Brain Clinic of Illinois: $3,000
• MASA: $2,500
• The Blood Connection: nearly $2,500
• The American Nurses Association: $1,000
• The Texas Nurses Association and Texas Nurses Foundation Board of Directors: $1,000
• Darrohn Family Charitable Gift Fund: $1,000

NCNA and NCFN launched a similar campaign in 2018 after Hurricane Florence. That campaign generated more than $25,000.

For more information visit https://www.ncnurses.org/