Hurricane Helene recovery: Regional ways to get help or give back

Lindsey Byars

2 Oct 2024

Three men prepare to lauch a Coast Guard boat onto Claytor Lake. — Cadet Conner Waldron (at left) and Cadet Nicholas Meyers (are right) are among more than a dozen Virginia Tech students, most of them from the Corps of Cadets' Citizen-Leader Track, are supporting Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts on Claytor Lake through the Virginia Tech Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program. They are working eight-hour shifts each day with federal, state, and local first responders to help stabilize the area after heavy rains and flooding left a 20-acre debris field in the lake that includes uprooted trees, docks, propane tanks and more. The students constitute a majority of the locally trained members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla and have been serving on boat crews to remove hazards to navigation and recover property from the lake. Photo by Ray Meese for Virginia Tech.

Recovery efforts are underway following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. For Hokies in need of assistance and others looking for meaningful ways to get involved, Virginia Tech has gathered resources and is coordinating cleanup efforts in communities near the Blacksburg campus.

VT Engage: The Center for Leadership and Service Learning at Virginia Tech has curated a webpage with information and links for local efforts as well as ways to connect with groups supporting the greater Appalachia region.

Students, faculty, and staff can also participate in Giles County Cleanup Days, organized through VT Engage. Trips from the Blacksburg campus are scheduled for Oct. 3, Oct. 4, and Oct. 10. Spots are limited; sign up online.

Hokie Wellness for Employees has crowdsourced a variety of numbers, links, and information sources for those affected by hurricane damage and those wishing to help in recovery efforts. This is shared on the Human Resources and Hokie Wellness for Employees pages and grouped according to region or affected Virginia counties, including Pulaski, Giles, Montgomery, and Floyd counties.

As you navigate this difficult time, Virginia Tech has the following mental health resources available to support students and employees:

Students:

Cook Counseling Center at 540-231-6557
Cranwell International Center at 540-231-6527
Dean of Students Office at 540-231-3787
Graduate Life Center at 540-231-6691
Hokie Wellness at 540-231-2233
Housing Services at 540-231-6205
Office of Inclusion and Diversity at 540-231-3811
Residential Well-being
TimelyCare
Women’s Center at Virginia Tech at 540-231-7806

Employees:

Employee Assistance Program
- Anthem at 855-223-9277
- Aetna at 888-238-6232
- Kaiser Permanente at 866-517-7042
- Sentara Health Plans Vantage HMO at 800-899-8174
Hokie Wellness at 540-231-8878
TimelyCare
Women’s Center at Virginia Tech at 540-231-7806