Weathering storms
A list with some ways to help
I’ve written and rewritten about thirty openings to this newsletter. There isn’t one that fits this moment, not really, and all the ways the grief weaves its way through the cracks of my and our consciousness.
Particularly as we wait for all our people to check in, the grief can be fully overwhelming, so I’m finding doing one thing a day to help keeps me from spiraling or freezing.
Appalachian folks will need support for many months to come: this is a region with a long history of folks coming in, extracting what they want, then leaving the locals to live with the consequences. Right now, we have an opportunity to show up for Appalachia in an ongoing way.
If you want to help, here’s a crowdsourced list plus additional ideas.
First things first: If you’re not local, do not travel to disaster areas until the immediate rescue and relief efforts are done, unless you have a specific drop point you’re bringing supplies to. Give folks room to get stuck residents out: Trust me, there will be many months of time to show up and help.
In particular, please don’t drive to disaster areas to take photos and gawk. Thank you!
And please remember small towns (of which there are many in need), not just the larger, more visible ones: They need resources and feet on the ground, desperately, just as much as bigger places. Thank you so much for supporting our community and region!
About the list
I’ve crowdsourced + compiled this list with an eye towards mutual aid as well charities, and with a strong preference for local organizations that are deeply embedded within, and deeply understand, the unique needs of their communities.
Thank you to everyone who sent me suggestions, and the folks who compiled the lists on the list of lists at the end!
The devastation from the hurricane has been life-changing for the region. And, please leave your own suggestions for trusted sources of community support in the comments!
I’ll keep adding to this list over time, too. As one note: I’m not adding individual GoFundMes here, which was a hard decision as I know many people who have + need them, but my focus with this list is more general community support for the region.
For updates: I’ve found North Carolina Weather Authority a helpful resource, and the guy who runs it (a very dedicated college student running on very little sleep) has been great at connecting people in crisis to resources.
Local newspapers are another helpful news source, as they know their communities, as is Blue Ridge Public Radio.
Places to send aid for the Southern Appalachians, Mid-South Georgia, and Florida:
Rescue and recovery
Mountain Mule Packers are bringing in supplies and staging rescues by mule train (they offer updates on Facebook).
The Cajun Navy are a fixture in immediate hurricane rescue and recovery, and they’ve been doing work in Florida and up to North Carolina to rescue people and bring supplies.
World Central Kitchen is feeding people at locations around the impact area.
All Hands and Hearts is providing disaster relief in WNC and Florida.
Community support
BeLoved Asheville is distributing supplies and needs donations.
Appalachian Medical Solidarity (graphic with alt text gives information on how to donate)
Manna Food Bank needs financial donations.
RISE Erwin is providing support for Unicoi County (TN).
Spruce Pine NC Neighbors Feeding Neighbors provides food relief.
AMY Wellness Foundation is channeling donations to their local nonprofit partners.
ASAP supports small farmers in Western North Carolina.
Haywood Christian Ministries has a food bank that needs donations.
The Folk Collaborative is collecting donations in North Georgia to bring up to affected areas. See what supplies they’re collecting on Instagram.
Holler Harm Reduction offers harm reduction, personal care items, pantry items, and medical supplies and resources for finding medical care (updates on their Instagram).
Marshall Mutual Aid Hub from ROAR posts updates on Instagram.
Seeds & Bridges in Knoxville is bringing supplies to affected areas in the next few days.
Loop it Up in Savannah is distributing hot meals and getting food to kids in need (see details on their Facebook).
Mother Grove Goddess Temple (Asheville)’s Facebook page has details for their supply collection and distribution efforts.
Organic Growers School has compiled a spreadsheet of farms needing recovery assistance, including a column for what kind of assistance they need (e.g. cleanup volunteers, funds, etc.)
Amy Bess Cook has compiled a list of breweries and wineries damaged in the hurricane who may need assistance: At the bottom are links to provide support as well as details about in-person fundraising events.
Pansy Collective has been collecting and distributing supplies.
Mutual Aid Disaster Relief is a network of mutual aid groups providing assistance in WNC and elsewhere.
Asheville Survival is collecting donations and supplies for distribution.
If you’re in the region, keep an eye out for local donation collections: In Atlanta, water is being collected at Chai Pani in Decatur, supplies collected at the Earl [update: They’re all full!], and others.
Animal care
Brother Wolf animal rescue needs donations.
Smoky Mountain Humane Society is working to reunite pets and people and provide supplies.
Appalachian Wild offers wildlife rescue and rehabilitations, and is one of two licensed to care for black bear cubs.
Forsyth Humane Society (GA) has been taking in many displaced animals.
Other lists:
Blue Ridge Public Radio’s list of places to donate includes airlift support, plus local and regional charities (some of which I also list below).
Mutual Aid Disaster Relief: Mutual aid for this and many other community needs, in the Southern Appalachians and beyond (also on Instagram).
Discover Carolinas has several lists: Emergency updates plus resource map, Asheville resources, and WNC resources by city.
Resources and information for East Tennessee from Watauga Online.
Mergoat Mag is sharing resources in their Instagram Stories.
Places accepting donations in East Tennessee, compiled by WJHL.
Holly Croft has been compiling resources for Georgia on Threads here.
Appalachian Voices has a very comprehensive list: Including phone numbers to call for missing persons (missing persons calls should go through these numbers, not 911).
Support for Buncombe County residents.
This flood resource map offers a visual guide for where to find water and other supplies.
One last thing: Take care of your heart, too
And finally, remember to care for yourself as the full extent of this disaster unfolds. Unplug when you need to, turn to your people for support, get out in nature, meditate, etc. Moving between restorative activities, and community-focused action, keeps us resourced to help for the long haul.
If it’s a helpful resource for you, I recorded this tree breathing meditation earlier this year, and it’s the method I use for quick grounding.
Sending you love everywhere in the hurricane impact zone, and love to everyone waiting to hear from loved ones.
