LOOK FOR THE HELPERS
My experiences with Hurricane Helene and some places to donate to directly
There was one conversation I had a couple hours after the hurricane passed through, which I'll never forget.
But before I share that, let me begin with how the first few hours of the morning on Friday, Sept 27th in Asheville, NC progressed for me and my friends whom I was staying with.
We lost power around 6am.
The highest winds moved through for the next couple hours. We saw lots of trees bending over and heard lot of pops/crashes from across the road. We also saw some flooding starting in the cul-de-sac at the bottom of the street where my friends' house is.
At around 11am we realized that a big tree had come down that was blocking the exit to the main road outside my friends' residential neighborhood.
It was amazing to witness how many chainsaws came out and how quickly the community gathered together to make quick work of the obstruction!
At this point we had no idea the level of destruction that had happened in the entire area...but we drove out to see if we could get out to the main highway and find a place to get cell reception - as all communications were down where we were.
There are about 5 or 6 ways to get to the main highway along the road that runs through the part of East Asheville I was staying in. We soon found out that all ways were blocked. One way had a massive flood that had taken out the road, and all other ways were blocked with fallen trees and power lines.
The Conversation...
As we were turning around and making our way back to the house (which fortunately had not sustained any damage) we came upon three men walking along the road. It looked to be a father, son, and uncle.
We stopped to ask if they needed anything, and they proceeded to tell us: "The river took our house".
We were a little stunned, and asked exactly what they meant...having no idea at this point the extent of the flooding...They described their entire house being carried away by the river - all at once. They then proceeded to tell us that many houses had also been taken in this way by the Swannanoa River.
We could hardly believe our ears, and asked again what we could do to help. They said they were on the way to a friend's house and were okay. They looked remarkably calm, but I can only imagine that they, like so many in the greater Asheville area that day and the days following, were in shock.
At that moment any thoughts of how I was going to manage to shift the work I came to Asheville to do, and whether I was going to cancel, etc., disappeared. I realized how significant the situation was and concurrently the incredible fortune I had to be situated where I was during the hurricane.
Life is so incredibly precarious and precious...and I know this experience will stay with me forever, and serve as a reminder of what's really important in life.
What I witnessed for the next 2 1/2 days that I was in Asheville was an incredible display of neighbors helping each other in so many ways: people showing up with chainsaws seemingly out of nowhere, families who had a generator providing water for their whole community, spontaneous potlucks where food that was quickly thawing in freezers that were no longer functional, being shared...and so much more.
So many people spoke to the fact that neighbors they'd never taken the time to get to know were becoming new friends, or perhaps even living in their home - as people so generously offered beds to those who needed refuge.
The beauty of the human spirit and the generosity of heart that I witnessed, alongside the layers of shock that moved through, as we all learned more and more about the extent of the damage, was a heart-expanding and disorienting experience like nothing I've ever been through.
When my friends I'd been staying with were offered a place a few hours south to go to for a couple weeks, I knew it was my cue to leave as well, in order to not become an extra mouth to feed or body to "water" when there were so few resources available.
And so, I journeyed back to my parents farm in Massachusetts to nourish myself and rest with the assistance of lots of healthy organic veggies...and I've turned my attention to doing what I can to help from afar.
I invite you to join me if you wish!
As mentioned above, 1/2 of the proceeds of all Cleanse registrations for my upcoming 7 Day Cleanse, which begins on October 21st, will be directly donated to non-profits doing on-the-ground work to bring essential supplies and relief to those who've lost everything.
If you've been directly affected by Hurricane Helene, and you'd like to join in for this Cleanse, please email me to join for FREE. ***Please don't worry about doing it "perfectly" - I understand you may not have access to organic food or other things that would support your Cleanse as you would normally have - so please know you can join just to be in a supportive and healing container for a week, with other souls who are also looking to support optimal health. My prayer is that this can be a helpful reset for you if you've been through the hurricane and the resulting aftermath, and that any focus on health and healing and wellbeing, however limited due to resources, would be supportive.**
AND NOW! LOOK FOR THE HELPERS!
There are so many amazing people and organizations showing up with hearts wide open to help support the relief efforts. Here are just a few I've identified that you can donate to directly if you wish!
Mother Earth Food Hub - providing local and organic healthy meals to folks in Asheville, and supporting the local economy and local farmers
Hope Mill Air Drop - bringing supplies via helicopter to people stranded in the mountains
BeLoved Asheville - providing incredible local support in many ways as needed
World Central Kitchen - proving free meals in and around Asheville
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue - donations needed to support rebuilding of shelter and providing immediate aid for animals
MANNA Foodbank - food aid for greater Asheville area
There are so many other great places to donate to, and if we're facebook friends, please check there as I am regularly sharing what I'm learning is needed most...
Thank you all SO much for whatever you feel to contribute at this time. All methods of support are so welcome!
Ellen
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