The Binc (Book Industry Charities) Foundation announced that they are raising funds to help bookstore and comic shop workers in Florida, North Carolina, and several other nearby states affected by Hurricane Helene. Macmillan Publishing (First Second Books, 23rd Street Books, etc.) will match donations totaling $10,000.
Pam French“We’ve heard from people in books and comics who are traumatized, unable to find friends and family, and without water and electricity, and we know there will be more stores in need of disaster relief,” said Binc’s executive director. “As the floods recede, Cleanup has begun and mobile phone coverage has been restored. We are grateful to our friends at Macmillan for their willingness to work with us to support bookstores and comic shops.
You can donate via the form available here. As of this writing, Hurricane Helene, which hit the southeastern United States on September 26, has claimed the lives of at least 190 people, half of them in North Carolina, and hundreds more are missing. You can also donate to help survivors through various charities and state fundraisers, all of which you can view here , and for more information and resources, you can visit the federal government’s website as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website.
If you are a comic book store or bookstore retailer/employee affected by a disaster, you can apply for Binc’s assistance here. The foundation said in a news release that it has received 15 calls for help so far. This fundraiser may be Binc’s largest aid effort since 2020, when they raised over $1 million to help stores and employees affected by the widespread closures at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
