Western NC workforce boards offered $500,000 to assist with Helene recovery
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The North Carolina Department of Commerce is providing funds for workforce boards in western North Carolina counties impacted by Hurricane Helene, state officials said Wednesday.
According to the Department of Commerce, the Hurricane Helene Business Edge Fund offers $500,000 to the western North Carolina workforce boards in an effort to help communities retain jobs and businesses.
Workforce development boards in impacted counties may apply to the Division of Workforce Solutions for funding and provide grants of up to $10,000 each to eligible businesses and community-based organizations. Employers in the impacted counties will be eligible to apply to their local workforce board, according to the Department of Commerce.
State officials said the counties eligible for the funds include Ashe, Avery, Burke, Buncombe, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey.
To apply, state officials said businesses must have been in operation for at least two years, be current on Unemployment Insurance taxes, and be in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service. The application should demonstrate a need for layoff aversion support and outline reasonable uses for the funds. Local workforce development boards may add their own application requirements.
The Hurricane Helene Business Edge Fund may not be used for products or services covered by insurance, hazard pay, rent, employee wages and benefits, certain support services for employees, and improvements, upgrades, or equipment that contribute to the capital assets of a business, according to the Department of Commerce.
Businesses are asked to contact their local workforce development board or NCWorks Career Center to apply for the Hurricane Helene Business Edge Fund. Contact information can be found on the North Carolina Association of Workforce Development Boards website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
FoundersForge to partner with United Way to help flood-impacted small business
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The United Way in East Tennessee has announced a partnership with FoundersForge to support small businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene. Executive Director David Nelson joined First at 4 to describe how the cooperation will help small businesses throughout the region. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
I-Team: Why so much red tape when you try to get unclaimed funds?
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team investigated why it seems so hard for you to get your money from the Ohio unclaimed funds. We've found many people asking since the Cleveland Browns may get unclaimed funds to help build a dome. So, we took questions to the Department of Commerce to find out what you should know. Go to the FOX 8 Facebook page, you see a lot of people complaining about how difficult it is to get money from the state's unclaimed funds account. Lawmakers may allow the Browns to use $600 million in unclaimed funds to help build a dome in Brook Park. Now, that has put a spotlight on red tape for folks like you. Don't click that text, BMV says Melissa Quillin-Grignon told the I-Team she's been fighting for unclaimed funds for a long time. 'My mother and myself have been trying for over a year,' she said. 'I had to email them four times before I got a response they even had the claim. That was frustrating to start with.' The Department of Commerce told us the state recently put a new system in place to help more people get their money more easily. 'About 30% of people are being streamlined for approval and they are getting their money in days,' Division of Unclaimed Funds Outreach Supervisor Susie Wagner said. Yet, the state's website shows Ohio has well over $4 billion in unclaimed funds. That includes money from old bank accounts, insurance policies checks never cashed and more. 'If the process has been streamlined, why are we still hearing so many complaints, 'I can't get my money?'' we asked. 'We're walking a fine line of trying to make it easier for people to claim their money, but at the same time, we're administrators of the law. We have to make sure that it goes to the rightful owner,' Wagner said. 'I personally have received more messages than I can count from frustrated constituents,' state Senator Casey Weinstein said. Bill could make federal minimum wage $15: The states paying less than that Weinstein said he's looking into more changes to improve the system 'It's kind of heartbreaking to hear of everyday Ohioans to get their money out,' he added. Last week, lawmakers proposed giving the Browns $600 million in unclaimed funds. Money that would be paid back with profits from the project. Since then, it seems everyone's asking about unclaimed funds. 'That was an 80% bump in claims being submitted. Up to 13,000 a day,' Wagner said. The Department of Commerce recommends you make sure to pull together documents required and follow instructions on the unclaimed funds website, and keep checking for email messages back. A Department of Commerce spokesperson wrote in an email to FOX 8, 'For the submitted claims that are not finalized and unpaid currently, the vast majority are due to incomplete documentation. We encourage people who submit claims to continue to work with our team when we ask for additional documentation we may need.' 'I would hope I can get my mother's money that she worked for,' Quillin-Grignon said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Anderson hosts Hurricane Helene town hall meeting
ANDERSON, S.C. (WSPA) – State officials will host a town hall in Anderson, on Tuesday, June 10, to gather input on the $150 million Hurricane Helene recovery plan. The plan aims to help South Carolina communities recover from the effects. From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Westside Community Center in Anderson, the South Carolina office of Resilience (SCOR) will present their plan that outlines how the state intends to use $150.3 million in federal disaster relief funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funds from HUD come from the community development block grant. It provides flexible grants for long-term recovery in communities affected by presidentially declared disasters, like Hurricane Helene. According to the draft plan, funds can be used to fix or rebuild single-family homes and/or affordable rental housing, to buy property from willing owners and support projects that reduce damage from future disasters. Tuesday night, residents from any county in South Carolina, will be able to speak with SCOR's Disaster Case Management team members (DCM) who are able to assist with ongoing financial, physical, or emotional needs that stem from Hurricane Helene. All spoken and written input from the meeting will be summarized and added to the final action plan. Those unable to attend the meeting can contact the team directly via the statewide hotline at 803-898-2511. Members of the public may review the draft action plan and submit comments in advance at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.