### Community Networks Step Up Amid Hurricane Helene's Devastation

In the wake of Hurricane Helene's onslaught, mutual-aid disaster-relief organizations like the Pansy Collective have risen to the occasion. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, the members prioritized checking on each other and assisting with necessary evacuations. Once it was safe, they ventured over 200 miles to Durham to gather essential supplies for their community.

This grassroots effort is mirrored in several regions across Florida and the Carolinas since Hurricane Helene made landfall on 26 September. Escalating rapidly from a category 1 to a category 4 storm in just a day, Helene has claimed at least 220 lives, with another 200 people still unaccounted for. Thousands have been displaced by the strongest hurricane to strike Florida's Big Bend region and the deadliest to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

While federal and state agencies, as well as larger non-profits, have been criticized for their sluggish response, local groups are filling the void. Garrett Blaize, executive director of the Appalachian Community Fund, noted how quickly communities mobilized. He highlighted the formal and informal networks of mutual aid inherent in Appalachia, which were activated immediately following the storm.

Blaize, stationed in Johnson City, Tennessee when the storm hit, soon traveled to Virginia and then Knoxville, Tennessee, collaborating with groups like Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards. He emphasized the region's cultural tendency to support neighbors, a legacy of living through scarcity that translates into rapid community response during crises.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, Tai Little from SEAC Village described their efforts to help those in western North Carolina and Mountain Island. With donations often amounting to just $2 or $5, they were able to supply non-perishable foods, generators, menstrual products, and baby supplies. Thanks to their national network, which includes groups like Charlotte Food Not Bombs and Charlotte Mask Bloc, they have been able to maximize their impact.

Belvin Olasov, co-director of the Charleston Climate Coalition (CCC), recounted their newfound involvement in mutual-aid work after witnessing the destruction in North Carolina. Even areas thought to be climate safe havens were not spared, leading the group to take immediate action.

Robert Lee, a volunteer with Food Not Bombs Tallahassee, reinforced the importance of both financial and social media support. Highlighting that even sharing information online helps spread awareness, Lee encouraged people to make a difference in any way they can.

As Hurricane Helene's aftermath unfolds, these stories of mutual aid and community resilience highlight the power of neighborly support in the face of disaster.