Disaster Preparedness Kits: How Your Generosity Helps Neighbors Prepare for Tomorrow

One year after Hurricane Helene devastated Haywood County, North Carolina, CWS donors and local students have come together to prepare 250 Disaster Preparedness Kits—offering comfort, resources and hope to families facing future storms.

Community Resilience in Action

On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina and left families in Haywood County facing hardship. Thanks to generous CWS donors, that same community is now showing what resilience looks like today. 

Because of your faithful support of CWS Blankets and CWS Kits, students at the Jounce Afterschool Program in Haywood County recently rolled up their sleeves to prepare 250 Disaster Preparedness Kits for their neighbors. These kits are more than bags filled with supplies—they are a reminder that even in the face of future storms, families are not alone. 

The highlight of each kit is a soft CWS Fleece Blanket—a source of warmth and comfort you’ve made possible. Each kit also includes essentials like a CWS Hygiene Kit, a first aid kit, a whistle, a waterproof document folder and a hand-crank weather radio, along with resources in multiple languages so every family can better understand how to prepare and keep their loved ones safe. 

Faith in Action

Your generosity is helping families be prepared in the critical first days after disaster strikes. “Our CWS Blanket Leaders and generous donors embody what it means to love our neighbors. Every blanket, every kit and every act of kindness helps communities not just survive but thrive. I’m deeply grateful for the way you make this ministry possible,” shared Matthew Stevens, CWS’s Director of Congregational Campaigns.

In addition to Disaster Preparedness Kits, CWS also distributed Emergency Cleanup Buckets to impacted individuals. “I cried with relief when the [flood] buckets came rolling off the truck. I remember slapping my hand on one and thinking, ‘When this settles, I’m going to send them the biggest thank you,’” shared Kasey Valentine, Community Health Worker Regional Lead for the North Carolina Community Health Worker Association.

We are grateful to our generous supporters for putting their faith into action and ensuring that families have the warmth of blankets, the care of hygiene kits and the hope of a new day.

Your gift to CWS’s Hurricanes Helene and Milton Relief Fund helps impacted families access urgently needed Disaster Preparedness Kits and other life-saving support. To support ongoing needs through our CWS Kits Program—including Emergency Cleanup Buckets, Hygiene Kits and Blankets—please make a gift here.