Watauga County is home to Boone, Blowing Rock, Beech Mountain, and many other amazing communities. Areas throughout the county were hit pretty hard by Hurricane Helene, and its people need everyone’s help.
One way to help from afar is to support the people and businesses there via donations or gift card purchases. In this guide, we’ve compiled as many of them as we can find.
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How to Help Businesses in Boone and Watauga County After Hurricane Helene
- Community Organizations: The communities of Boone, Blowing Rock, Beech Mountain, and others in Watauga County are held together by the businesses and organizations that serve them. These local community organizations are raising funds to help the recovery.
- Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture
- The Build for Good Foundation
- Casting Bread
- Children’s Council of Watauga County
- Common Good Co. Project Do Good
- F.A.R.M. Café
- High Country Food Hub
- Hospitality House NWNC
- Hunger & Health Coalition
- Mustard Seed’s Project Community Roots
- Turchin Center for the Fine Arts Annual Membership Fund
- Watauga Arts Council Hope After Helene Fund
- Wine to Water Hurricane Helene Response
- Individual Businesses: Many businesses have reopened or are in the process of reopening. You can peruse a listing of places to shop and restaurants in Boone, Blowing Rock, and elsewhere in Watauga County via Explore Boone’s website. Here are some businesses that have gift card purchases and online merch available and ability to ship:
- Appalachia Cookie Company’s Western Relief Fund and 30 Thirty Project are two worthy causes. When you subscribe to the 30 Thirty Project, you’re providing a local family with 30 pounds of food every month and you receive a dozen of our gourmet cookies on the first Monday of every month.
- Appalachian Mountain Brewery Merch
- Bald Guy Brew Roasting Coffee Gift Cards
- Beech Mountain Ski Resort Gift Cards
- The Best Cellar Restaurant/The Inn at Ragged Gardens Gift Cards (Blowing Rock)
- Betty’s Biscuits Gift Cards (Boone)
- Bocca Bistro (Boone) is accepting gift card purchases via phone at 828-355-9758.
- Boone Belles Gift Cards
- Boone’s Fly Shop Gift Cards
- Booneshine Brewing Co Gift Cards
- Cafe Violette Gift Cards (Blowing Rock)
- Chetola Resort Gift Cards (Blowing Rock)
- Come Back Shack Gift Cards (Boone)
- Dan’l Boone Inn Gift Certificates (Boone)
- Eleven80 Eatery Gift Cards (Boone)
- Espresso News Gift Cards (Boone)
- Firelight Book & Candle in Blowing Rock is using a portion of proceeds to send candles to those without power as a result of Hurricane Helene.
- FizzEd (Boone) is taking donations by phone at (828) 832-8102. Just ask for Amy when you call.
- The Gamekeeper Gift Cards (Boone)
- Hatchet Coffee Gift Cards (Boone)
- Hellbender Bed and Beverage Gift Cards (Blowing Rock)
- The High Country Greek’s Ambrosia Kafeneio Gift Cards
- High Country Souvenirs in Boone is selling a North Carolina Strong T-shirt, with 100 percent of proceeds going to disaster relief.
- Holloway Corner Kitchen Gift Cards (Boone)
- The Last Straw Gift Cards (Blowing Rock)
- Lost Province Brewing Co Gift Cards (Boone)
- The Lovill House Inn (Boone) is accepting reservations for relief workers and traditional guests and they also have gift cards for purchase.
- Lucky Penny Gift Cards (Boone): This business is working to help others in the area while remaining closed.
- Makoto’s Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar Gift Cards (Boone)
- Mast General Store (Boone, Valle Crucis, and Multiple Other Locations) has started a line of Mountain Strong Apparel and Stickers, with 100 percent of proceeds going to relief efforts.
- Melanie’s Food Fantasy (Boone) is welcoming gift card purchases for community members by phone at 828-263-0300.
- Mysterium (Boone) has gift cards for purchase.
- Over Yonder Gift Cards (Sugar Grove)
- The Pedalin’ Pig Gift Cards (Boone)
- Proper (Boone) is allowing purchases of gift cards by phone (828-865-5000), and like a kind member of our Facebook Group did, you can buy one for someone in need.
- Red Onion Gift Cards (Boone)
- Rooted on King Gift Cards (Boone)
- Rustic Gift Cards (Blowing Rock)
- Stickboy Bread Co. is teaming up with local organizations to provide community members. Donate to their outreach program to help those efforts.
- Storie Street Grille Gift Cards (Blowing Rock)
- Sunrise Grill (Boone) has a “Community Care Fund” that goes to feeding people who need a delicious meal and who can’t afford one. You can donate by calling 828-262-5400 or via Venmo.
- The Table at Crestwood Gift Certificates (Blowing Rock)
- Talia Espresso Online Shop (Boone)
- Venture Chocolate and Wine Co. Gift Cards (Boone)
- Vicious Biscuit Gift Cards (Boone)
- Vidalia Gift Certificates (Boone)
If you know any businesses in Boone, Blowing Rock, Beech Mountain, and elsewhere in Watauga County (or community organizations) that we missed, please kindly let us know in the comments and we’ll investigate further.
Also, if you know any business owners who have not set up fundraisers, please encourage them to do so or help them make it happen if you can.
What Else Can We Do to Help?
Are there any other ways we can help the people and businesses of Watauga County and elsewhere in Western North Carolina? Let us know in the comments.
You can also share your favorite businesses in our North Carolina Travel Facebook Group.
More Hurricane Helene Resources
We are working on compiling as many resources as possible to help you help the people of Western NC, their towns, and the businesses that make them special.
- How to Help Asheville and Buncombe County Businesses
- How to Help Madison County NC Businesses
- How to Support Mitchell County (Bakersville and Spruce Pine) Businesses
- How to Support Rutherford County (Chimney Rock and Lake Lure) Businesses
Here are our two main pages dedicated to relief efforts in the area.
