FEEDING THE CAROLINAS
Hurricane Helene Response
The Challenge
When Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina in September of 2024, the destruction extended far beyond damaged roads and flooded homes. Entire communities were left without access to food, clean water, and essential supplies. Among the organizations hit hardest was MANNA FoodBank, whose headquarters and warehouse suffered catastrophic damage, disrupting food distribution for thousands of families.
As the scale of the disaster became clear, Feeding the Carolinas (FTC), the network uniting the ten Feeding America Food Banks serving North and South Carolina (including MANNA FoodBank), needed to quickly communicate the urgency of the crisis, coordinate messaging across multiple organizations, and inspire donors, partners, and the public to respond quickly and generously.
They turned to us, a long-time strategic communications partner, to help lead the response.
The Solution
The partnership proved timely, as the preparation for just such a disaster had begun before the storm. Just 30 days prior to Hurricane Helene, we collaborated with Feeding the Carolinas to develop a comprehensive crisis communications plan. Rather than creating messaging in the midst of chaos, the organization entered one of North Carolina’s largest disaster responses with a clear communications strategy, defined processes, compelling messaging, and a roadmap for engaging donors, media, partners, and the public.
From the earliest hours of the response, we worked with Feeding the Carolinas’ leadership to implement that plan. We provided strategic communications counsel, helping determine what messages needed to be shared with various stakeholders and when and how they should be released. In a rapidly evolving environment, communicating with clarity, consistency, and credibility was essential.
Our team developed campaign messaging that explained both the immediate devastation and the broader story of the Carolinas’ member Food Bank network working together to ensure families continued receiving food and essential resources. We focused on clear information and communicating the region’s urgent needs. We supported the campaign strategy with website content, donor communications, social media content, branded graphics, digital fundraising materials, presentation assets, and other creative collateral that maintained a unified message and visual theme across every platform.
We also supported public relations efforts by preparing spokespersons, developing talking points, identifying media opportunities, and amplifying stories that highlighted both the extraordinary need and the remarkable collaboration taking place across the state’s food banks. Throughout the response, we served not simply as a creative agency but as a strategic advisor, helping leadership adapt messaging as circumstances evolved while maintaining public trust during an emotionally charged crisis.
The Results
$110,000
in the first 24 hours
$1.9m
in the first week
$16m+
by end of campaign
The results of the campaign demonstrated the power of preparation paired with strategic communications. Feeding the Carolinas raised more than $110,000 in the first 24 hours, $1.9 million in the first week, and ultimately generated more than $16 million in support of food banks and local recovery partners across the Carolinas. Beyond fundraising, the campaign elevated public awareness of food insecurity during disasters and reinforced confidence in the network of Food Banks across the Carolinas—ten food banks, one mission.
“Angel Oak Creative was an instrumental partner throughout my time at Feeding the Carolinas, helping us strengthen our brand, communications, fundraising, and crisis preparedness. I firmly believe their strategic guidance played a significant role in our success during the Helene response and positioned Feeding the Carolinas for long-term impact. We couldn’t have been as successful without Angel Oak’s support.”
— Mike Darrow, Former Executive Director
The Hurricane Helene response is a great example of our belief that effective communications are part of mission-critical infrastructure, not just a nice-to-have accessory. By combining proactive planning, strategic messaging, creative execution, and trusted counsel, we helped Feeding the Carolinas mobilize communities, inspire extraordinary generosity, and strengthen its capacity to serve all Carolinians when they needed it most.