Helping Asheville Rebuild, Starting with Basic Needs

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

We are truly moved by the outpouring of concern and care for our family and the small mountain town we've come to call home over the past five years. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We feel incredibly grateful to be safe and that our home was spared. But as you may have seen in the news, many of our neighbors were not as fortunate. The destruction is heartbreaking—lives, livelihoods, and homes have been lost, and the immediate need for basic supplies as our community begins to rebuild is overwhelming.

For those of you who may not know our Asheville story well, five years ago this month, we took a leap of faith and moved here from San Francisco, largely sight unseen. From the moment we arrived, we found ourselves embraced by a warm and generous community. We've shared so much with our neighbors—weathering the pandemic, celebrating the birth of our daughter Phoebe, hosting Halloweens and potlucks and cookie exchanges, enjoying long runs and bike rides along the French Broad River, and supporting causes that matter here. This place is home in every sense.

While the road to recovery will be long, the immediate need is clear: cleaning up, clearing roads, and ensuring that our neighbors have the basics they need to care for themselves and their families. This weekend, we'll be driving a van and a few cars from Atlanta back to Asheville, loaded with essentials—water, gas, food, cleaning supplies, tarps, batteries, hygiene and baby items—to distribute to communities struggling to access relief centers. We'll be working hand in hand with our neighbors to get these supplies to those who need them most.

Many of you have asked how you can help. If you feel moved to do so, we would be deeply grateful for any contribution you can make. Your donations will help us purchase these much-needed supplies and allow us to cook and distribute hot meals to those affected. Any remaining funds will go directly to local relief efforts here in Asheville.

Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness. Your love and support mean the world to us, and we are eager to put it to good use as we work to help rebuild our community.

With deep gratitude,

Sam, Leslie, Zeke, and Phoebe