It's been a week since Hurricane Helene ravaged our beautiful Western North Carolina landscape and the lives of the people who call it home.

Since the rushing waters began to subside, the citizens of our state have shown their true colors in stepping up. As usual, our state employees are at the forefront of this effort. From Department of Transportation workers repairing heavily damaged roads and Interstates to get the area moving again to the State Highway Patrol leading the effort to keep order, correctional officers securing our prisons, and employees at treatment centers caring for our most vulnerable citizens, the heroism shown by our public workers has been extraordinary.

SEANC is here to do our part as well. We want to help the thousands of state employees and retirees affected by this tragedy, and so do our members across the state. Here are some of the ways we are helping:

• In our SEANC Cares initiative, we have a direct line to our staff that is always monitored. Members affected can email us at seanccares@seanc.org or contact the Central Office at 1-800-222-2758 to speak with a member of our Member Relations Team.
• We continuously update our Hurricane Helene Relief page with resources for those affected and ways for everyone to help.
• We have requested that the governor allow extra "disaster leave" to help employees in the affected region tend to their families and communities. We continue to work with the Cooper administration on a plan to accomplish this.
• Our own SEANC Disaster Relief Fund will consider each application carefully. Some people have not even made it back home to assess their damages. Therefore, disbursements from this fund will take time for the committee to consider and process. To expand on that effort, we are partnering with the State Employees’ Credit Union and state agencies to create a method for employees to donate to their coworkers in the West with the support they need. We will have more information on that plan soon.
• We are also asking members and SEANC districts to donate needed items to our office, located at 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609. A list of needed essentials can be found below. If you don't have time to deliver your donations to the office, you can send them to us via Amazon.

SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins also defended the hard work of state employees against Lt. Governor Mark Robinson's assertion that "Florida is going to rebuild the roads in North Carolina" on X. Watkins responded with, “Our folks at DOT will appreciate the help from neighbors but how dare you want to lead them as a cabinet agency and say something like this!” Her response was noted in both state and national news stories.

This week on The SEANC View Podcast, we discuss our efforts in detail. We also discuss the upcoming legislative session, scheduled for Wednesday, during which lawmakers are expected to take action to help citizens in the West.

Listen to the SEANC View Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or Podbean.