Community organizations are working overtime to help their western North Carolina neighbors stay warm this winter. As rebuilding and repairing efforts continue for thousands of homes destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Helene, many homes and temporary housing units are being winterized to improve insulation and energy efficiency. And that process also has emphasized we have a critical need for winterizing the travel trailers and campers that are providing temporary shelter for storm-impacted families.
In response to this need, Lowe’s Home Improvement announced the company will provide $50,000 to two western North Carolina organizations working to winterize travel trailers and campers for those families. Rebuild Haywood and The Beacon Network will each receive a gift card for $25,000 to help those volunteer organizations complete more projects. The gift cards will be used to purchase additional supplies for their work installing insulation, wrapping windows, and making other winterization repairs.
To date, The Beacon Network has completed winterization on 110 campers and paid for over 10 essential repairs projects. Rebuild Haywood has completed seven winterization projects and is positioned to complete 15 more in the next couple of weeks. The organization is actively taking applications and scheduling new winterization projects.
Rebuild Haywood was created in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to help bridge the gap between local needs and available resources. Organization leaders have built their team to meet the growing demand for home rebuilding efforts in their Haywood County community. They have added a licensed general contractor, a construction team, a certified disaster case manager, and a case management team to help address needs like the winterization of campers and travel trailers. Offering an organized process that groups leaders and volunteers each step of the way helps the organization broaden its impact across multiple counties.
The Beacon Network works with groups and communities to coordinate disaster recovery in Yancey County and beyond. In addition to camper winterization, the organization coordinates volunteer-driven work on waterway restoration and offers events supporting community recovery and resilience. Leaders hope to build a lasting network of impactful intention and mutual aid for their extended neighbors.
Supporting winterization work continues to be a priority in North Carolina. In November, the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) granted $50,000 for travel trailer and camper winterization. At the same time, Governor Josh Stein and North Carolina Emergency Management announced $500,000 in additional grant funding for emergency repairs and temporary measures to prepare homes damaged by Hurricane Helene for winter.
“We are thankful to Lowe’s for offering this additional support to help Rebuild Haywood and The Beacon Network complete more winterization projects and help more storm-impacted families have a warm and safe place to stay,” said Matt Calabria, Director of GROW NC. “Their collaboration with partners across the region is making a substantial difference for western North Carolinians, and we’re committed to working alongside them to ensure they have the resources they need.”
State partnerships with nonprofit organizations continue to support the repairing and rebuilding homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. In 2025, Governor Stein deployed more than $16 million in grants to nonprofit volunteer organizations active in housing repair and replacement activities in western NC. (Those volunteer organizations also are referred to as VORGs.) These grants support critical work by local organizations, including repairing roofs, septic systems, and electrical wiring, to make homes safe and livable again. Click the links to learn about homes repaired by two state-funded grant recipients, Housing Assistance Corporation and Baptists on Mission.
Visit our WNC Recovery Stories page to find more stories about the people and organizations making a difference in western North Carolina.