American Red Cross and United Way of the Cape Fear Area highlight the impact of unity for the greater Cape Fear region through Long Term Recovery efforts and solutions.
Wilmington, NC: In this long-standing partnership, United Way of the Cape Fear Area and American Red Cross are dedicated to serving the unmet, critical needs of those in search for relief in times of disaster. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018 both brought forth the challenges of rebuilding homes, finding financial stability, and acquiring supplies and staples needed for survival. Through United Way, American Red Cross’ response partnership was enhanced, and the recovery speed increased for Long Term Recovery efforts.
United Way of the Cape Fear Area serves as the fiscal agent for Long Term Recovery Groups in the greater Cape Fear region. During the Hurricane Florence Recovery, American Red Cross granted United Way of the Cape Fear Area a generous $150,000 designed to aid families to rebuild their homes, get help with rental assistance, and find options for re-housing. An Unmet Needs Committee was created to assess, evaluate, and assign case management structure to the areas affected. To this day, with the support of American Red Cross providing direct assistance and financial assistance, United Way has been able to help 40 families recover from Hurricane Florence. 30 of those families needed assistance in finishing rebuilding their homes, and the other 10 families needed financial assistance to pick back up from where they left off before the disaster struck.
By working in collaboration to achieve Long Term Recovery solutions, United Way and American Red Cross are able to help the community faster and develop lasting solutions. This partnership continues to serve as a testament of how United Way and American Red Cross are continuing to work together to help mitigate what has happened, and how this partnership will continue to aid families in dire recovery needs in the future.
Although COVID-19 has affected the focus of our greater Cape Fear community, our local Long Term Recovery Groups are still working to help those affected from Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence, recover. In past, present, and future, American Red Cross and United Way of the Cape Fear Area are dedicated to helping this community thrive, recover, and rebuild for a better tomorrow.
