For Albemarle, Disaster Recovery Efforts are Personal 

Oct. 11, 2024

Assisting in the recovery from Hurricane Helene feels personal at Albemarle. Our facility and our colleagues in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, saw significant damage from the storm. Many Albemarle employees suffered damage to their homes or had family members in devastated communities in Western North Carolina without power, water or other necessities. 

Employees have rallied to raise money and donate essential supplies both through company initiatives and on their own. 

The Albemarle Foundation has proudly joined the American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program, ensuring the relief organization has vital resources to prepare for and respond to disasters big and small across the country. 

This program focuses on preparedness and the Albemarle Foundation’s support is intended to help enable the Red Cross to move quickly to help individuals and families in their times of greatest need. 

“As extreme weather events increase in frequency and intensity, we continue to count on forward-thinking disaster responder members like Albemarle to help power our preparedness and relief efforts,” said Anne McKeough, chief development officer at the American Red Cross.  

At a more local level, Albemarle and the Albemarle Foundation have initiated several relief efforts to assist communities in Cleveland County and more broadly in Western North Carolina.  

We’ve partnered with local organizations, including the Kings Mountain Family YMCA, the City of Kings Mountain, and the Grover Volunteer Fire Department, to offer generator use and distribute essentials.  

The Kings Mountain Family YMCA opened its doors to more than 600 people over three days, offering hot showers, coffee, phone charging stations and childcare. Residents from surrounding areas, including Asheville and Morganton, have been welcomed. Kings Mountain is just 90 miles from Asheville, one of the cities hardest hit by the storm.

“YMCA extends heartfelt gratitude to Albemarle for their incredible support of our community through volunteering, donations, and engagement throughout the year,” said Kevin Osborne, vice president of the Cleveland County Family YMCA. “The moment our YMCA re-gained power and re-opened, Albemarle reached out to see what we needed. Within just a couple of hours, they provided us with essential supplies and a phone charging station. It was truly remarkable and a blessing during a critical time.”  

Albemarle employees in Charlotte are conducting canned food drives for the Kings Mountain Crisis Ministry, as well as supply and blood drives to support residents across the region. 

Dozens of employees have been helped through our Albemarle Care fund, which offers financial assistance to colleagues who experience hardships of many kinds, including from natural disasters.