Hurricane Helene Update #2
- handsandfeetavl
- Dec 29, 2024
- 3 min read
This letter is from an email newsletter sent out on 12/29/2024
Dear Friends of HFA -
Since I last wrote there has been a seemingly endless series of shifts and changes necessitating pivot after pivot, but one thing has never faltered - Hands and Feet's unwavering commitment to serving WNC and enriching the lives of young adults. I am so grateful to the many who have helped us along the way as well as for the tireless work of our Executive Director Galia and my fellow board members - Allison, Andrea, Jerry, Kathy, Lisle, Megan, and Tyrone. I think many of us have been living in constantly shifting realities post-Helene. Personally, I find it discomfiting, but for Hands and Feet, it has borne many opportunities to re-examine our program, imagine new futures, and recommit ourselves to the work of serving our WNC neighbors in need. Our newest change is an emerging partnership with Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, for which we are hiring a part-time role - find more details below! My prayers are with all who have endured hardship, loss, and grief because of the storm and its continued effects on our region.
Since Friday, Oct. 18:
All 6 Fellows have returned to the Asheville area from Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, where they sheltered for 2 weeks after their evacuation from William Black Lodge in Montreat. We are so grateful to the staff and congregation at Myers Park for their generosity and hospitality in the wake of the storm!
Our Fellows are now split between two dwellings, a condo in Fairview and Walnut Lodge, a facility we are renting from Montreat Conference Center.
All of our Fellows have been back at work for over two months. Since coming back they have all been incredibly busy. Amaya has been single-handily leading Hurricane cleanups in the River Arts District through her placement at Asheville Greenworks and Christian has been helping folks with home repair through Habitat for Humanity. To learn more about the Fellows and their placements at vital ministries in the Asheville area, visit the Current Fellows webpage.
Our Fellow JyMia experienced an unimaginable loss to the storm, losing 2 family members - her young cousins Derrick and Harmony had a tree fall on their bedroom in Georgia. Through your donations, we were able to fund JyMia's return to Georgia to be with her family after this loss. Please pray for her and her family and if you'd like to support them directly, they have a GoFundMe set up - https://gofund.me/13f29262.
We incurred many expenses due to the storm and are asking for donations in support of the ongoing program operations - please make a gift at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=WQU2LU94USKTS.
We were delighted and deeply grateful to receive a $10,000 NOW grant from the WNC Bridge Foundation. This grant was instrumental in our ability to keep the program afloat during our hardest days after the storm. We are grateful to the WNC Bridge Foundation for recognizing the importance of our work to WNC's recovery.
Monday is the Fellows' Community Day and we have sought ways to be more directly impactful to our communities, spending time volunteering at places like Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church's distribution center and serving food to our hungry neighbors at 12 Baskets Cafe.
Updated - We hired Christina! As part of a new partnership with Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, HFA is hiring a Mentorship Manager for BMPC's young adult service corps. BMPC's young adult service corps program was borne organically in October from a mission-minded response from local young adults to the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene on their community. Learn more about the relief efforts coordinated by the young adults at https://bmpcnc.org/relief. To learn more about Christina, visit our Staff webpage.
Hands and Feet of Asheville Fellows are doing amazing, incredible, life-changing work and we're glad to have you be a part of our story!
With love and prayers for joy in the new year,
Emma Goldrick
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