Strengthening Connection to Amplify Action
Coming Together to Counter Disaster
Hurricane recovery efforts continue in our home region of Western North Carolina. We have seen first-hand the power of community to pull each other through the most challenging of times. We are devoted to preserving that communal spirit as recovery continues, ensuring that all of our neighbors and ecosystems are restored.
Beacon boosts connection across communities to facilitate and amplify direct action from the ground up. We do this by partnering with local leaders and organizations, coordinating to meet needs and bridge valuable relationships.
We match volunteers with needs, develop collaborative programs to provide essential services, and convene events that bring together local change makers across sectors to draw in community members looking to connect and get involved.
What We Do
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County-Wide Volunteer Coordination
We help coordinate volunteers across Yancey County’s Long Term Recovery Group. Do you want to volunteer, have volunteer needs, or have a group that wants to come out and help? Let us know!
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Camper Winter Weatherization
We want to ensure all of our neighbors have warm and safe places to live this winter. Are you living in a camper or trailer after being impacted by Helene? Get in touch!
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Land and Waterway Restoration
We work with a number of organizations to implement various strategies for ecosystem restoration. If you have or know of hurricane impacted lands, get in touch.
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Community Recovery and Resilience Events
Once a season we hold an event to bring community members and groups together to share about important work being done and how folks can get support or get involved.
Impact
To date, in collaboration with our many wonderful partners and volunteers, Beacon has…
Removed over 60,000 lbs of hurricane trash and debris from our waterways and lands.
Propagated, planted and distributed over 1000 native plants as part of our ongoing Restoration Project, including the precious threatened and versatile River Cane.
Hosted over 30 community workdays.
Facilitated four hugely successful Resource Fairs drawing in and feeding over 600 impacted individuals and connecting hundreds to much needed services.
Compiled and published an essential local Recovery Resource Guide.
Brought together locals, recovery organizations, artists, and musicians for our Community Cookout on the storm’s One Year Anniversary - the first of many community gatherings to come!
This is just the beginning - we are committed not only to recovery but resilience, and are working hard to strengthen local communities with lasting impact for generations to come!
Our work would not be possible without our many incredible partners!
Thank you to Blue Ridge RC&D, the South Toe Stewards, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Cooperative Extension, the Virginia DCR, and the Yancey County Agricultural Extension for their collaboration in county-wide ecological restoration efforts. Together we are ensuring a healthy, resilient ecosystem that will be appreciated by generations to come.
Ongoing recovery work would not be where it is without the tireless efforts of the Yancey Long Term Recovery Group, Pisgah Legal, Catholic Charities, the Appalachian Disaster Coalition, A Bridge Home, and many more.
Lastly, we owe endless gratitude to our funders: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, United Way of North Carolina, and Earth Guardians. Because of them, our work in service to our communities has been able to succeed and grow.
