Small Business Advice

Volunteers, nonprofit and community organizations, first responders and utility crews from various states have been making an effort to provide aid to those impacted by Helene. Widespread devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene came to light Monday across the South, revealing a wasteland of splintered houses, crushed cargo containers and mud-covered highways in one of the worst storms in U.S. history. The death toll topped 130 as of Monday evening. The devastation has inspired helpers from around the U.S. to send aid or to make a trip to the states impacted by the severe weather. The American Red Cross in Cincinnati launched a massive response: 1,400 volunteers from around the country are already in impacted areas, assisting with shelters and food distribution.Related video above: Mainers mobilize to help Southerners hit hard by HeleneWith large numbers of power outages, power crews from a number of states have also been sent to the South to help make repairs and get utilities up and running again.From firefighters to swift-water rescue teams and K-9s, first responder agencies in states not impacted by Helene have been sending first responders to provide aid. Video below: Biden Administration ramps up Hurricane Helene relief efforts, plans visit to impacted communitiesIndiana pilots rally to deliver aid to North Carolina after HeleneSister station WLKY reports that pilots from Indiana have rallied to deliver aid to North Carolina after Helene.Columbus Municipal Airport in Columbus, Indiana, has been serving as a staging area for volunteer aircraft loaded with relief supplies destined for Asheville, North Carolina. The initiative is being organized by J.R. Grounds of the Indiana-based Civilian Crisis Response Team. Grounds took to social media to call on local pilots to volunteer their time and personal aircraft for the mission.So far, 75 pilots have stepped up to offer their assistance.Brian Payne, the airport director, is not surprised by the outpouring of support. He is helping to facilitate logistics and refueling at Indiana’s fourth-busiest airfield.”The aviation community is so philanthropic. And the opportunities to be able to give back to others outside of our community is certainly, you know, again, not a surprise at all,” Payne said.In addition to disaster recovery after Hurricane Helene, Massachusetts volunteers providing ’emotional, spiritual care’Volunteers from Massachusetts left Monday to head south to help residents affected by Hurricane Helene, according to WCVB. Capt. Enmanuel Villegas, of the Salvation Army, is headed to Georgia as part of the disaster recovery response in the wake of Hurricane Helene. His role is to provide comfort.”There will be a team I’ll be working with to provide some emotional and spiritual care for those individuals who have, unfortunately, endured this unfortunate hurricane,” he said.Three other Salvation Army volunteers also boarded their flights to head to Florida.Ohio groups pitch in to help with Helene relief effortsBusinesses and organizations in Cincinnati, Ohio, have not wasted any time pitching in to help with hurricane relief efforts.Groups there have already sent supplies, donations, volunteers and spiritual guidance to impacted areas in the south.A team of 12 from Matthew 25 Ministries left over the weekend to begin assisting communities in the south.”We’ll be offering free mobile laundry and shower services. So, people can drop off their laundry. We do it all for them, and they come back and pick it up when it’s done. We also have shower trailers available for people to take a fresh shower. Really looking to provide that sense of normalcy to people,” Canfield told WLWT.Matthew 25 said it will begin airlifting supplies for distribution in impacted areas throughout North Carolina starting this week. With support from partners like Kroger, Procter & Gamble, Prime, and Walmart, these supplies will include food, water, hydration drinks, baby formula, and diapers.Masters of Disaster, a faith-based nonprofit in Cincinnati, will physically assist storm victims by tarping roofs and removing trees.The group will also assist on a spiritual level.”Once we’re there, we’re making investments in the community and the people we serve. We want to make sure they feel known, they feel seen, they feel helped, they feel loved,” Kroger said. “We lead with emotional and spiritual care because we are a faith-based nonprofit.” Kansas City-area groups prepare aid for Helene-impacted areasLast week, Kansas City-based Heart to Heart International was preparing to send medical supplies and other relief to Florida.The organization has strong working relationships with 50 relief groups and health facilities in Florida.The group told sister station KMBC that it was preparing shipments of hygiene kits, helping people hit by the hurricane with such basics as toothpaste and cleanup supplies. Lots of personal protective equipment was also slated to be delivered to health care partners and other first responders.Kansas City’s Operation BBQ Relief was also preparing last week to mobilize to Florida to help areas impacted by Hurricane Helene.The organization was deploying to Florida for its sixth time in the past decade, with plans to be on the ground to provide critical support to those in impacted areas.The nonprofit was founded by competition pitmasters and was planning to provide hot BBQ meals, comfort, and a sense of normalcy to residents in the area. The Associated Press contributed to this report.