Topics Related to Stories of Recovery and Resilience
When North Carolinians urgently needed help with housing and utility bills, food assistance, or medical resources during the pandemic, they turned to NC 211 at a record rate. United Way’s free, statewide helpline saw a 50% surge in 2020 for a total of 180,000 calls, and even more people sought help on the NC 211 website. While those numbers have since decreased, more people still continue to call NC 211 compared to pre-pandemic levels.
While the Crosby Scholars program serves public school students in three counties – Forsyth, Rowan, and Iredell – you’ll also find its alumni in every corner of North Carolina succeeding academically, personally, and professionally. A $500,000 grant from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act funds is strengthening the program right when schools and families need it most.
The North Carolina Transportation Museum was just coming off a record-setting year when the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down in March 2020. This sprawling 60-acre historic site known for its raucous attractions, including train rides and fire truck festivals, fell silent for months before opening to limited capacity. Its biggest annual event, the Polar Express, was canceled that winter and despite creative outdoor-only activities like a drive-thru light display, attendance fell by 70%. At the same time, the museum still had to pay its bills.
Update: As of November 2023, the NC Homeowner Assistance fund is no longer accepting new applications. In total, the program served 18,000 homeowners.When Tommy Cloyd bought his house in 2009 outside Greenville, it needed a lot of work. For three months, his family helped fix and paint everything from the ceiling to the doors. That memory became especially precious after his father passed away in 2022.
As unemployment and uncertainty soared early in the pandemic, so did the demand for food assistance. North Carolina’s regional food banks quickly rose to meet this unprecedented need by sourcing, storing, and supplying food to their networks in all 100 counties. Now the State is investing $40 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to ensure food banks can afford to continue their mission, even as they face new COVID-era challenges like supply chain disruptions, inflation, and decreased donations.
When Dr. Tanya Hudson went door-to-door interviewing families about the impacts of COVID-19, there was a clear consensus: students’ academic skills suffered because of extended online learning. This is often referred to as “learning loss,” and extends beyond North Carolina into every state that closed schools in 2020 to help stem the spread of the virus.
When most businesses closed at the onset of COVID-19, local YMCAs kept theirs doors open for the people who needed them most. Traditional membership programming was suspended, but in its place were blood drives, food drives, and even efforts to sew and provide personal protective equipment like masks. But perhaps most impactful was the emergency childcare they offered.
As Bennett College enters its 150th year, it can add yet another major event to its long history: surviving the COVID-19 pandemic. Located in the heart of Greensboro, this historically black women’s college is anchored by a chapel where Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke, and its students – known as Bennett Belles – have played integral roles in social justice movements dating back to the 1930s.
Update: Since this story was first published, Destiny Perez graduated from Forsyth Technical Community College in May 2023, and was accepted into Western Carolina University where she plans to obtain a bachelor's degree in marketing and communications.
Update: Since this story was published in 2022, the Rural Transformation Grant Fund has served 116 communities across the state through grants, training, and strategic planning programs for a total of 186 projects. Newton is now in the final phase of its revitalization project and anticipates completion by Spring 2025.