The Charlotte-based Leon Levine Foundation committed $5 million this week to Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the devastated North Carolina mountains — the latest big donation from a foundation, company or individual based in or with a strong presence in Charlotte.
“This is a time our broader community must come together to help those in need,” Tom Lawrence, Leon Levine Foundation president and CEO, said in a statement.
Helene killed at least 143 people in the Southeast, CNN reported Tuesday afternoon. Authorities confirmed 57 deaths in Buncombe County, home of Asheville, Sheriff Quentin Miller said Tuesday. The storm erased downtown Chimney Rock and other areas of the mountains and left thousands homeless..
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An initial $1 million went to the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to help in 18 counties, Lawrence said. The foundation also has accelerated payments of scheduled 2025 grants and given more grants to its nonprofit partners in the mountains, he said.