Safe Water for Hurricane Helene Survivors

Help Us Bring Safe Water to Families Impacted by Hurricane Helene

October 14th, 2024

It's hard to believe that it's already been almost two weeks since our LifeStraw team arrived in Western North Carolina to provide safe water to communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. The level of destruction caused by the flooding is staggering, and the recovery process will take time—months in some areas. During this time, we remain committed to supporting these communities through local organizations and will continue to provide LifeStraw products to households without access to safe water.

Partnering with local emergency responders, community organizations, churches, and residents, we’ve continued to work to get water filters and purifiers to those affected. In places like Asheville, Celo, South Toe, Spruce Pine, Pensacola, Cattail, Black Mountain, and Barnardsville, we’ve established filtration systems and trained local teams to ensure sustainable access to safe water. For many families, clean water won't be available for the foreseeable future, with some areas still under boil water advisories or completely without water.

Our team has gone door-to-door in some of the most isolated areas, hiking to reach families sheltering in place who have been drinking from contaminated creeks or springs. To date, we’ve donated over $160,000 worth of products, and we’re proud to say that we’re providing safe drinking water to more than 19,000 people every day.

But this work is far from over. While we continue to address immediate needs, we’re also focused on long-term solutions.

As the work continues, we will be building on the relationships we have with active local organizations and community organizers as they work with the communities to assess the need and prioritize where safe water solutions are most needed.

Thank you to everyone who has supported these efforts—whether through donations, partnerships, or sharing our mission. Your contributions have made this possible. If you'd like to continue helping, please share our donation page or reach out if you're part of a group looking to purchase LifeStraw products for relief efforts. We will keep providing updates as we continue our work here in North Carolina.

October 7th, 2024

Last week, the LifeStraw team arrived in Western North Carolina to support communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. Since then, we've been working closely with local partners to provide safe drinking water to those impacted by severe flooding.

Thanks to your generous donations, we’ve been able to distribute nearly 3,000 products to provide safe water for nearly 19,000 people per day. These including large purifier systems like the LifeStraw Community and LifeStraw 8L for people living in shelters or going to community centers for help, LifeStraw Home pitchers and dispensers for folks without access to safe water in their homes and personal bottle and straw filters for individual use.

We have been working with local fire and rescue, local community organizations and individuals that are working to reach some of the hardest-hit areas, including Yancey, Avery, Mitchell and Buncombe counties. These filters have been crucial in areas where safe water will be a challenge for months.

This work is possible because of your support. Please share this page with friends and family so we can reach even more families affected by this disaster.

Thank you again for standing with us. We’ll keep sharing updates as we continue our work here in North Carolina.

September 30th, 2024

As a North Carolina native, watching the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene has been heartbreaking for me. I know how frightening it can be to lose power, face flooding, and be cut off from basic necessities like safe drinking water. The communities affected by this storm are my family, my neighbors, and it’s deeply personal to see the impact it’s having.

Since making landfall in Florida on Thursday night, it has caused damage and catastrophic flooding across the southeast. 700,000 people across North Carolina are without power as the storm dumped 29 inches of rain in some parts of my home state. Millions across the Southeast and Appalachia will be affected by this storm as it continues to move slowly through Kentucky and Tennessee this weekend.

At LifeStraw, we’re preparing to respond immediately. Safe water access is critical in the aftermath of such disasters. LifeStraw is partnering with responding organizations and local grassroots teams to distribute water filters and purifiers to those affected. Our goal is to ensure that communities have safe drinking water as they face the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene.

As we are make preparations to mobilize our resources to the hardest-hit areas, we need your help to expand our reach. With your support, LifeStraw can provide life-saving access to safe water for families and communities in the aftermath of this massive storm.

Your donation will help us:

• Deliver water filters and purifiers to impacted areas
• Work alongside local nonprofits and grassroots organizations to reach those in need
• Ensure that survivors have access to safe water during power outages and water system failures

I’m asking for your help. Your donation to LifeStraw’s Safe Water Fund will help us to provide these life-saving resources and ensure that those impacted have access to safe drinking water. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference.

Please join us in bringing relief to those affected by Hurricane Helene.

With gratitude,

Alison
CEO, LifeStraw

100% of donated funds go toward the cost of products and distribution of supplies. Vestergaard Frandsen, Inc. (d/b/a “LifeStraw”) does not profit from your donation.

LifeStraw’s Safe Water Fund operates through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund, a Texas nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178, ppf.org/pp). Contributions to LifeStraw’s Safe Water Fund qualify as tax-deductible.