Help Ross Pottery recover from Hurricane Helene

Ross Pottery is the Asheville-based business of Meg and Jamie Ross. Wednesday, September 25th was the last normal morning we had since Hurricane Helene. We are not sure what our new normal will look like or how long it will take to get there, but we would so appreciate your support.

Western North Carolina received record-breaking rainfall and high winds. The result was mile-wide rivers causing over 25ft of floodwaters, mudslides, sinkholes, and unprecedented tree fall. Our region will never look the same, the geography has changed. The river moved and took so many homes, businesses, and lives with it. As I'm writing this we don't have electricity, water, or reliable cell signal. Many of our neighbors are in worse conditions and have no access to resources. Our community is in mourning at the same time it is showing up for one another. The county estimates several weeks before water and essential services are returned. In the meantime, we have been showing up where we can with what we have and will use the next few weeks to continue helping our community as we have the resources. We are holding so much of our community in our hearts as we grieve our losses.

The damage to our studio was catastrophic. The warehouse that was our second home will not be rebuilt. Three and a half years' worth of passion-driven hard work has been broken up and washed downriver. Some things are replaceable, but so many are not - and those hurt the most. The artwork, books, and journals were each a piece of the puzzle that made our studio and our work come alive. While we're mourning this loss, we are anxious to rebuild our stability. The classes we've been teaching have become Meg's primary income. The markets where we've met such wonderful people gave us the stability to keep our studio going. With no water in Asheville, Jamie's massage business is closed indefinitely. This is a frightening time with a long road ahead. But this uncertainty brings renewed hope.

So many people have reached out for ways to help and have given encouraging words. We appreciate you so much! Please continue to support us and support our neighbors in Western NC. These funds will be used to replace what was lost in the flooding including clay, glazes, tools, furniture, a variety of equipment, and materials such as books and packaging products. We will also be using these funds to offset the total lack of income for the next few weeks, as well as the loss of income over the next several months. A portion of this fund will also replace what we’ve contributed towards aid efforts in the Asheville area. We are hopeful for the future and look forward to inviting you all to our studio again. Until then we will keep you updated as we can and will keep our community in our hearts and actions.