Transcript:
After Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last fall, donated supplies poured into the region – including solar panels, batteries, and other equipment that can help provide energy to areas without power.
Hebson: “A lot of these large solar companies … they’ll make these very generous, large, in-kind donations of equipment after a storm.”
But Catherine Hebson with the Footprint Project, a disaster recovery nonprofit, says there’s a risk that some of this equipment will go to waste – if it doesn’t find its way to those who need it.
So her group set up the Western North Carolina Free Store, which distributes some of the donated solar equipment.
Hebson: “And so then we’re kind of taking it upon ourselves to be the matchmaker and get that equipment to somewhere where it’s going to be used.”
Some people are using the equipment for temporary power while they rebuild. Others are creating larger, off-grid systems to provide reliable energy long-term.
Hebson: “Sometimes we just give an individual 10 panels, or four MC4 cables, because that’s what they need to finish off their system.”
So by getting donated equipment to where it’s needed, the Free Store helps support communities’ long-term recovery and resilience.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
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