The East Tennessee Foundation Partners With 31 Nonprofits for Hurricane Helene Relief and Recovery Across East Tennessee

Knoxville – Tennessee — The East Tennessee Foundation (ETF) has expanded its disaster relief partnerships to help East Tennessee recover from the effects of Hurricane Helene through grants to nonprofit organizations serving the affected areas.

Approximately $5 million has been committed to the ETF’s Neighbor to Neighbor Disaster Relief (N2N) Fund, with the ETF investing approximately $690,000 thus far across 31 nonprofit partners supporting East Tennessee’s recovery.

“Nearly three months after the storm, as our community continues to grapple with both near and long-term impacts, the East Tennessee Foundation team remains focused on strategically connecting the generosity of our donors with the ongoing needs of our neighbors,” said Keith Barber, the ETF President & CEO. “Our most recent disaster relief investments are alleviating some immediately recognizable needs like food, housing, and financial assistance, while investing in long-term recovery through critical initiatives like preventing future water damage and equipping our community with a search and rescue truck.”

In November, the ETF announced a range of 20 nonprofit partners supporting response, relief, and recovery for East Tennessee through its N2N Disaster Relief Fund.

From November 21 through December 12, 2024, the ETF partnered with 11 additional nonprofit organizations supporting recovery from Helene, including:

• Concord United Methodist Church – Serving Greene and Johnson counties

• • Home repairs for individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene

• Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority – Serving Cocke County

• • Direct financial assistance and essential needs for Cocke County clients

• International Storytelling Center – Serving Carter, Greene, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties

• • Supporting continued operations following loss of revenue from Hurricane Helene

• Rural Resources – Serving Greene County

• • Expenses for providing continued community meals for impacted individuals

• Friends of Carter County Tennessee Disaster Animal Response Team – Serving Carter County

• • Supporting continued operations following loss of revenue from Hurricane Helene

• Greeneville Greene County History Museum, Inc. – Serving Greene County

• • Repairs to the museum and measures to prevent future water damage

• Hampton High School – Serving Carter County

• • Replacing SkillsUSA’s damaged equipment and technology

• The Salvation Army Sevierville – Serving Cocke County

• • Immediate temporary housing, case management, and other needs for Cocke County households

• Unicoi County Search & Rescue – Serving Unicoi County

• • The purchase of a search and rescue truck

• Helping Others of Johnson County Helping Others of Johnson County – Serving Johnson County

• • Soup kitchen and food pantry operations for continued service to impacted households

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Dumplin Valley – Serving Cocke County

• • Direct financial assistance and support for Cocke County youth and their families

For a comprehensive list of the ETF’s N2N grant recipients, please visit our Hurricane Helene Recovery page.

How to Donate

Online donations to support the N2N Disaster Relief Fund can be made via ETF’s website.
Please make checks payable to East Tennessee Foundation with “N2N” in the memo line and mail to:

East Tennessee Foundation

520 W. Summit Hill, Suite 1101

Knoxville, TN 37902

For more information about investing in East Tennessee’s recovery, please contact:
Angelia Nystrom, VP of Advancement & Chief Legal Counsel, or
Dara Worrell, Director of Regional Advancement
Telephone: (865) 524-1223 or toll-free (877) 524-1223

How to Apply for Funding

The ETF continues processing grant applications to eligible organizations supporting recovery, including 501c3 public charities, units of government, public educational institutions, and houses of worship.

For more information, please visit our website.