North Carolina is putting another $2 million toward out-of-school programming for children and families impacted by Hurricane Helene, Gov. Josh Stein’s office said Thursday, expanding access for western summer camps that provide mental health resources.
Trillium Health Resources, headquartered in Greenville, will use the money to send children and families to the Henry’s House program — a camp for children ages 6 to 16 designed to aid with post-disaster trauma, as well as a broad swath of physical and medical needs.
“This program will be a lifeline for parents and children who are still healing from Helene,” said Matt Calabria, who leads Gov. Josh Stein’s office for western recovery, in a news release.
The new money builds on an already established state program, WNC Thrive, that provides after-school, weekend and summer programming for children in western counties affected by Helene.
Earlier this year, the NC Department of Health and Human Services sent $1.75 million to Vaya Health, which serves 32 western counties, to establish the program. More than 1,000 children attended the program’s camps across multiple locations this past summer, according to the governor’s office.
The new camps put on by Trillium will be located at Victory Junction — a camp in Randleman founded by former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty. In a July announcement of the program, NC Division of Mental Health director Kelly Crosbie called it “a much-needed respite option for families and caregivers.”
DHHS and Trillium will release further details about the programs, including eligibility guidelines for families, by spring 2026, according to the governor’s office.
This story was originally published by NC Newsline.
