The Wilmington community is grieving the unexpected death of Jamie Stokley, the beloved founder and CEO of Helping Hands of the Cape Fear, a nonprofit dedicated to helping unsheltered individuals recover from illness. The organization confirmed her passing on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, saying she died at just 40 years old.
A spokesperson for Helping Hands described Stokley as “known for her compassion, tenacity, and devotion to those most in need.” Her death leaves a void in the Cape Fear area’s nonprofit and healthcare advocacy circles.
Who Was Jamie Stokley?
Stokley was a Wilmington native who built her career on service, leadership, and healthcare administration. With over 15 years of experience in home care, she brought professional insight and a personal mission to everything she touched.
According to the organization, Jamie held degrees in business and healthcare administration. She was also active in civic service, including the Rotary Club, the New Hanover County Endowment Advisory Board, and was recognized as a WILMA Women to Watch honoree.
Her peers remember her as someone who “saw people, not problems” — turning professional skills into life-changing support for the region’s most vulnerable.
Under Stokley’s leadership, Helping Hands of the Cape Fear became a community lifeline. The nonprofit’s mission was to provide respite housing for unsheltered people recovering from illness or hospitalization — giving them a safe place to heal, regain strength, and transition toward stability.
She bridged the gap between healthcare systems and homelessness services, created a dignity-first model of post-hospital care for individuals with nowhere else to go and partnered with hospitals, clinics, and community organizations to ensure no one was discharged into homelessness.
Since the news broke, Wilmington residents, civic leaders, and healthcare professionals have flooded social media with messages of grief and gratitude. Many described Jamie as a “real one” — a leader who didn’t just talk about change, she built it.
Funeral arrangements are underway, and Helping Hands is expected to release public memorial details soon.
The organization now faces a pivotal moment — to honor Jamie’s legacy by maintaining her compassion-driven mission while ensuring operational stability for the clients who depend on its services.
Local supporters have already expressed readiness to step up and sustain her work, showing just how many lives she touched.
Jamie Stokley wasn’t just a nonprofit founder — she was a pillar in Wilmington’s humanitarian community. Her work embodied the balance of heart and hustle — proof that young, driven leadership could change local systems and fill gaps traditional institutions overlook.
Her passing leaves a major hole in both the social-care landscape and the hearts of those who witnessed her impact firsthand.
