Two faith-based humanitarian and outreach groups have each been awarded $3 million in state government funding to assist with ongoing rebuild efforts in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced last week.
The groups include Baptists on Mission, the outreach arm of Southern Baptist churches across the state, and Habitat for Humanity of North Carolina, a Christian-based nonprofit organization that helps communities build and improve homes.
Governor Stein announced the $6 million in grants during an appearance at the Boone Chamber of Commerce. During his remarks to media members and other gathered officials, he announced a $30 million public-private partnership to fund grants for small businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene along with nonprofit grants for the home rebuild initiatives.
“Baptists on Mission’s plan is to stay here for as many years as it takes to help the people of western North Carolina rebuild,” Stein said. “They are among the unsung heroes here out west, and I think we need to help them keep doing what they’re doing, and we need to support their efforts. That’s why I’m announcing a $3 million grant to Baptists on Mission to continue their emergency rapid repair projects.
“The money will help them purchase building materials that their volunteers can then install to help homeowners get back into their properties as quickly as possible in a safe, habitable condition.”
Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Donate $50 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you can elect to receive “The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church” by JR Woodward, haga clic aquí.
Baptists on Mission officials have established seven centers across western North Carolina that can house volunteers and will serve as bases of operation for long-term rebuild efforts throughout the region. Baptists on Mission officials have committed to rebuilding homes in western North Carolina over the next four to six years.
“Our volunteers are working day in and day out to get homeowners back into their homes as quickly as possible,” said Richard Brunson, executive director of Baptists on Mission, who joined Stein at Friday’s announcement. “We are grateful for Gov. Stein’s support to ensure this work can continue to help the people of western North Carolina recover from this devastating storm.”
Brunson also thanked Stein for his recent hands-on involvement in Helene-related rebuild efforts.
Over the extended Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Stein and members of his cabinet volunteered at a number of organizations in western North Carolina. One of those groups was Baptists on Mission, where Stein toured a rebuild center in Spruce Pine and joined a group of volunteers to work on the storm-ravaged home of a local resident named Barbara.
“I heard from our team that he was one of the best people they had putting up Sheetrock,” Brunson said of Stein.
The $3 million grant announcement came just days after officials with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina announced at the organization’s board of directors meeting earlier in the week that $20 million had been contributed toward N.C. Baptist response efforts since Hurricane Helene struck the state in late September 2024.
Este artículo apareció originalmente en Grabadora bíblica y ha sido reimpreso con permiso.
Chad Austin is managing editor of the Biblical Recorder.
Spanish 
English
3 Responses
THANK YOU for this article! Many of us were disappointed in the outcome of last fall’s election for NC governor, but this is highly encouraging. Gov Stein’s predecessor did virtually nothing for the western part of our state. It’s wonderfully encouraging to see Gov Stein not only take action, but also include the faith-based organizations that make such a huge and lasting impact.
Don’t let Elon Musk know about faith-based groups being awarded government grants to do charitable work, no matter how important or humanitarian. DOGE certainly wouldn’t approve of that!
If the financial records are accessible and show that the money is being spent wisely to further the stated goals, DOGE would be fine with it, if DOGE had jurisdiction. Don’t worry, DOGE has no jurisdiction on these funds because they are not federal funds.
DOGE is only concerned with waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer funds. Such as; making social security payments to non-existant people, money flowing to child traffickers, money making it’s way into campaign coffers and politician’s and their family’s pockets, etc..