Help Maggie and Freeman Rebuild After Disaster

Hi all, I'm Molly Morningglory. Maggie and Freeman Jones of Turtle Island Pottery in Old Fort, NC are my parents. I've set this fundraiser up for them. The gist is, Freeman was diagnosed with Dementia 4 days before Hurricane Helene hit WNC. A tree landed on my parent's studio, cracked the foundation, and broke the window frames. Insurance totaled the building but even with FEMA the costs will not be covered. It's time to downsize. Over the next few months my brother, Jesse, my husband, Jeremy, and I will be helping Mom and Dad move into "the yellow house" pictured above. It has been used as their gallery for two decades and needs renovations to be livable. The first step is heat as winter is coming. We've already had some frosty nights. We will also need to build a new studio and showroom so they can continue to make a living. There are other goals as well for the full need, but these three are the top priorities and we could really use your help. If you enjoy Turtle Island Pottery's work as much as Maggie enjoys making it, please help set her up for success in her golden years. She wouldn't know what to do with herself if she didn't have clay in her hands. Let us support her safety, comfort, and creativity! And, Let us support Freeman's care needs as this moves them closer to family and services!

See their work at turtleislandpottery.com

Further details below from Maggie:

"I have been hit with a double whammy laced with complications.

A few days before Hurricane Helene hit, my husband, two grown children, and I spent 4 hours at Memory Care in Asheville, NC for testing. Freeman is 78. The doctor says he has Dementia, and while the cause is not known for sure until an MRI is done, all signs point to Alzheimer's. We thought we were catching it early, but he is further along than we suspected.

Hurricane Helene left our home without power or water and no form of communication. After two and one-half weeks, we got power and water but no phone, cell, or internet in our remote section of SE Buncombe County.

During the storm, a large tree landed on the corner post of our studio. It cracked the concrete floor/foundation, and the windows have shifted, showing gaps and broken frames. Over two weeks later, the tree has been removed, but insurance has called the studio a loss. 10% of the maximum does not help repair or rebuild.

With Freeman's Dementia, he is unable to plan ahead or see the giant picture. I am having to make decisions without the husband I have known and relied on for almost 50 years.

I need to move our home and studio to our showroom where we will have more reliable utilities and better access to assistance. We are lucky our children are close by, and this move will make it easier for everyone. I am grateful that the showroom has power, water, and Starlink, but there are renovations needed to make it livable. It needs remodeling to be changed from a sales venue to a home. The #1 need is a heating system.

Currently, we are going back and forth between the two locations. Camping out at home, which is heated with wood. Meals, showers, and communications at the showroom during the day.

I will be editing this as I can with more details as to what we need. Right now, money is the best help.

My blessings to all.

Sincerely, Maggie Jones