Neighbors Help Neighbors

By Max Posner

Editor’s Note: In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the power of the storm’s devastation was matched by the power of communities mobilizing to help one another. Neighborhoods organized, and countless local networks and organizations emerged to support those in need. This photo essay celebrates the volunteer spirit of one such organization and speaks to the resourcefulness, collaboration and hard work embodied by thousands and thousands of volunteers, first responders and aid workers across the region. As recovery continues for many people and places impacted by Helene and as communities prepare for future disasters, it’s essential that we continue to connect to that passion for helping one another. 

Before Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, Lance Buskey, a member of the whitewater paddling community, had just moved to Asheville and was working as a carpenter. 

In the days after the storm, Buskey and some friends in the outdoor community immediately got to work, making meals for those in need, distributing water out of 55-gallon barrels, and posting on social media to ask for donations. Within 24 hours of sharing a photo of Cooper Leist in a pickup truck delivering water, people had sent in over $5,000 in aid. Then another $15,000. At this point, Busky realized, “We can either hand this off to someone else, or we can mobilize.” And that’s what they did.

On Monday, Sept. 30, the group of friends and volunteers from the outdoor community began operations out of French Broad River Academy, an independent middle school for 6th-8th graders where one of the effort’s founders, Sam Iatarola, taught. Over the next three days, the effort brought in more than $100,000 from around the world. By early October, the effort poured $500,000 into local communities. By mid-October, volunteers working long hours had completed more than 500 missions in over 12 counties in Western North Carolina and one in Tennessee. The all-volunteer effort, named Hurricane Helene WNC, was largely facilitated by the Asheville paddling and outdoor community, though volunteers also traveled from more than eight states to help.

Hurricane Helene WNC members took ownership of finances, logistics, supplies, operations, medical, and volunteer coordination. At a morning meeting in early October, a member of the U.S. Special Forces stated, “The model is working well here. It’s a model worth replicating … You guys are more organized than most battalion staffs.”

In late 2024, the grassroots effort became the nonprofit Helene Rebuild Collaborative, which continued providing aid to hard-hit communities. The group also helped people who didn’t qualify for FEMA assistance or lacked flood insurance by providing funding, building materials and manpower to rebuild their homes. The nonprofit ceased operations in 2025, but for a time it was a grassroots, youth-driven example of what it looks like when a community shows up to help neighbors and strangers alike.