With thousands in Western North Carolina grappling with the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, High Point Law is trying to do its small part in the disaster relief response.
One hundred percent of the law school’s faculty and staff have financially contributed to a fundraising effort. The funds will be used by High Point University’s Student Government Association to buy supplies like propane and water for communities in need.
While most law students would be spending their fall break catching up on sleep and reading, teams of High Point Law students have traveled to some of the most hard-hit areas in coordination with humanitarian aid organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse and Project Hope. Please consider donating to Samaritan’s Purse and Project Hope to aid their efforts in disaster relief.
These efforts come in response to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene across Western North Carolina, particularly in the Asheville area and the surrounding counties. Catastrophic flooding has caused widespread damage, with Buncombe County being one of the hardest hit. The death toll is already in the hundreds, and hundreds of others are unaccounted for.
Several communities, like Montreat and Swannanoa, were severely affected, with entire neighborhoods destroyed by fire and floods. Over four hundred roads have been closed across the region, and search-and-rescue teams are working tirelessly to assist residents, some of whom remain trapped in isolated areas. In addition, power outages have been extensive, with more than a million customers affected at the peak of the storm.
Relief efforts are underway, with thousands of responders, including FEMA, the National Guard, and volunteers from across the country providing food, shelter, and medical care to those displaced by the storm. The outpouring of help has been a beautiful act of humanity. Still, more help is needed and will be needed in the coming months.
When asked for a comment about this tragedy, Dean Martin shared the following message:
On behalf of everyone at High Point Law, our hearts and prayers go out to the families that have lost everything in the tragic aftermath of this natural disaster. We stand with our friends out west and will continue to do whatever we can to help these communities.