Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte
CV NEWS FEED // This weekend marks one month since Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and left a wide swath of destruction in six states, particularly in western North Carolina.
In an exclusive interview with CatholicVote, Jesse Boeckermann, western region director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, describes the agency’s relief efforts after Helene, as a tropical storm, devastated the mountainous region of the state on September 27.
Boeckermann, who received the Disaster Services award at the American Red Cross Salute to WNC Heroes last month for his efforts after Hurricane Fred in 2021, told CatholicVote, “Catholic Charities has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in essential supplies to people in need in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, including water, food, clothing, diapers, pet food, hygiene products, and toiletries.”
CatholicVote: What does the damage look like a month after the hurricane?
Boeckermann: The federal government has declared 37 of the 46 counties of the Diocese of Charlotte (and the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) as federal disaster declarations. Because of the expansive nature of this storm, the damage looks different depending on where you are. Asheville, the big city in western North Carolina with less than 100,000 people, has some areas of town that look like a warzone where a bomb went off, especially areas by rivers, streams, and creeks that flooded 10-30 feet above regular water levels. Small towns like Swannanoa, Lake Lure, Marshall, and many others have been altered to the point of unrecognizable in some areas. Thousands of trees fell. Mudslides changed the landscape of many neighborhoods and roads. Hundreds of roads and bridges are out. The water system was destroyed and is being rebuilt. The water is flushable in many areas, but boil water advisories continue.
>>DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE LEADS HISTORIC $3.8M RELIEF FOR STORM VICTIMS<<
CatholicVote: What does the progress look like?
Boeckermann: Power has been almost fully restored across the region. Internet and cell phone coverage are coming back little by little. The Western Region Office of Catholic Charities in Asheville just got its Internet back this Monday, October 21, after over three weeks without it. After weeks without water for many, the water system is slowly coming back online. After a week or two of limited access to gas stations and grocery stores, businesses that don’t need drinkable water to operate are back and operational. The WNC community has worked hard together to rebuild during the last month, and that will continue for the months and years to come. The generosity from people of goodwill throughout North Carolina, the southeast region, the United States, and donors from multiple countries have provided the support and inspiration to progress and move forward with the recovery efforts. Schools are reopening in the next week in the Asheville area, which is a huge sign of progress.
CatholicVote: What still needs to be done?
A lot still needs to be done. This won’t be disaster relief that lasts weeks and months. It will last for years as people rebuild their lives. The water system, particularly in Asheville and Buncombe County, is being rebuilt four weeks after the storm hit. Businesses and homes that floated down rivers and had water, wind, and trees turn them into piles of debris in mud are gone. People will need to rebuild and recover. Hundreds of people died. People are still missing. Trees need to be cut down and removed to allow access to rural and remote areas. Bridges and roads need to be rebuilt. And people need to address the trauma of this storm in the months and years to come.
>>DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE LAUNCHES ‘SISTER PARISH’ PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT HELENE RECOVERY EFFORTS<<
CatholicVote: What are some of the specific steps Catholic Charities is taking to help those affected by the storms?
Boeckermann: The response of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte in the four weeks since the storm hit on September 27 has been multi-faceted, working with and through Catholic churches and schools, nonprofit organizations, government partners, businesses, and people of goodwill from around the country and world. We started with the distribution of essential supplies and items throughout the Diocese of Charlotte, starting in Hendersonville (Henderson County) and working through Catholic Churches in Asheville, Swannanoa, Arden, and Candler, (Buncombe County), Waynesville (Haywood County), Sylva (Jackson County), Mars Hill (Madison County), Brevard (Transylvania County), Linville (Avery County), Jefferson (Ashe County), Lenoir (Caldwell County), North Wilkesboro (Wilkes County), and others. Over the past week or two, we’re transitioning to case management and financial assistance for people in need.
We want to provide the direct assistance to help people rebuild their lives, whether that’s a new refrigerator, bed, or couch that was destroyed or flooded in the storm, repairs to homes and cars that had trees fall on them, rental and utility assistance for people that were out of work for days and weeks following the storm, temporary and transitional housing costs for people that can’t live in their home because of flood and storm damage, and a variety of other financial assistance.
We’re also providing the case management coordination to connect people with other organizations that provide assistance and encouraging people to apply for FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] funding and connect with their insurance providers. CCDOC [Catholic Charities, Diocese of Charlotte] continues to be in communication with other nonprofit partners, businesses, and government entities to provide people with the information they need to take the steps to rebuild their lives.
>>NC CATHOLIC SCHOOL BECOMES HUB FOR DISASTER RELIEF FOLLOWING HELENE<<
CatholicVote: How can readers around the country support Catholic Charities’ relief efforts in North Carolina?
Boeckermann: Support for the disaster relief efforts of the volunteers and staff of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte in North Carolina is greatly needed and appreciated. Prayers for the people who died and their families, friends, and communities are essential in the healing process. People can donate financially to the relief efforts at www.ccdoc.org. Checks made payable to CCDOC with disaster relief in the memo line can be sent to: Catholic Charities, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203
