By Jim Utter
Director of Journalism
Autobell Car Wash has partnered with Samaritan’s Purse on a new fundraiser to support the ongoing Hurricane Helene flood recovery in western North Carolina.
Through Feb. 16, all Autobell Car Wash locations will donate from the sale of each Rain Repellant Special Wash to Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization based in Boone, N.C.
The funds will be earmarked for ongoing recovery and rebuilding assistance in western North Carolina for those affected by the catastrophic flooding of September’s Hurricane Helene.
Samaritan’s Purse has provided continuous disaster response in western North Carolina since Helene and its aftermath.
First delivering water, food, generators, fuel, satellite internet systems, and other critical items to mountain communities after the storm, the organization also deployed thousands of volunteers to help homeowners clean up flooded homes and property.
“The folks in western North Carolina are resilient, but so many are still suffering, and we want them to know they are not forgotten,” said Autobell President and COO Carl Howard.
“Samaritan’s Purse is dedicated to the continued crucial work of helping people rebuild their homes and lives.”
The nonprofit has now turned its focus to the long-term rebuilding project of replacing manufactured homes, repairing stick-built houses, and constructing new ones for those whose properties were left uninhabitable.
Furniture and materials assistance is available as well, with priority given to homeowners who were uninsured or underinsured.
The recovery efforts so far have been enormous, but so was the impact on residents.
A fact sheet provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency says $320 million had been approved by mid-January to help more than 146,000 households and individuals, which includes money to help people find temporary housing as they rebuild.
The agency also said more than 2,800 households are already staying in temporary hotel and motel rooms, with 141 households getting temporary housing units from FEMA. It also has contracts with 17 commercial parks to place those units with eight more parks being considered.
FEMA also reports that $318 million in Public Assistance funding has been approved for community recovery and the agency has awarded about $12 million to repair roads and bridges.
Autobell’s Rain Repellant Special Wash creates a hydrophobic barrier on a car’s windshield, causing rainwater to bead up and roll right off. It is hand-applied by the site’s employees to dramatically improve wet weather driving visibility.
Founded in 1969 by the late Charles Howard Sr., Charlotte, N.C.-based Autobell, is a conveyorized car wash with a range of exterior and interior cleaning and finishing services completed by its team members.
The company currently operates 90 locations in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with consistent expansion.
