Natural Way Living Asheville Hurricane Helene Recovery Fund

Natural Way of Living – Asheville

Hurricane Helene Recovery Fund

For NWL Donors Only

On the evening of September 24, 2024, Hurrican Helene moved over Western North Carolina (Asheville) with catastrophic winds and over 23 inches of rain on already saturated earth. You can view photos and videos of the damage on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=flooding+in+asheville+nc

By True Source’s Grace, all of the NWL Asheville alumnae survived and are basically okay.

Truly a miracle and blessing.

Those of us, far away and in our comfortable homes, may not be able to grasp the reality of the situation caused by hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. While some areas / people were not hit too hard, other areas / people were very much negatively affected. Below are some of Raven’s words to us in an email that will help us understand the need for this request for help:

“The entire region is changed forever, geographically, emotionally, physically... the magnitude of the disaster is unfathomable.”

“Just to paint the picture of the trauma and destruction regionally, with whole mountainsides having given way....and so very many losing their livelihood, their lives, their families, everything. The Disaster Relief people say they have never seen anything like the massive destruction in this region.”

“On the Wednesday before the hurricane, a "predecessor storm” came in and dumped rain like I have never seen before. The sun came out for a day or so... we did not expect much from the hurricane, except that the radar showed this gigantic red monster coming towards us. By Thursday night when the storm hit, the ground was supersaturated and there was no place for the water to go.”

“Trees and wires everywhere are across yards, fields, and roads... the flood waters engulfed all the businesses along Riverside drive....cars, trees, houses, cows, giant propane tanks, etc. in that raging river.

The harder hit areas are in the Swannanoa Valley and parts of Asheville where the Swannanoa River runs. Lowes (huge building supply stores throughout the US) is gone. UHaul (moving truck rental company) is gone. All the businesses and the apartment buildings along the river were washed away into the floodwaters. Stories of rescues via cutting holes in roofs are common. In the communities like Fairview, with many rural roads going deep up into the mountains...where generations of people lived in trailers and on a prayer, there were tremendous mile-wide landslides, carrying every tree, every home, every car-sized boulder roaring down the mountain. Whole complexes of multigenerational families were carried away in the mud and may never be accounted for.”

“And with each community, with each neighborhood, each story, there is always the one about how the neighbors were there instantly with earthmovers and chainsaws to be able to get through to look for survivors, helping their neighbors, going door to door, sharing resources, etc. Hearts have been burst wide open with no thought of tomorrow.”

“Besides Asheville businesses washed away, the towns of Chimney Rock, Micahville, Oteen, and Swannanoa are washed away; Black Mountain businesses destroyed; no more livelihood. Marshall has been condemned because of toxic chemicals eating away at workers boots and clothing.”

Miraculously, The Prayer House and Lotus Barn sustained no damage.

• Trees are down everywhere; mud and debris carried by the flooding waters have destroyed many areas.

• Roads are completely torn up, blocked, and some closed until further notice.

• The lucky hearts were without electricity / internet for about 7 days; some will not have service for weeks and months.

• CLEAN WATER was, is, and will be a challenge for an extended period of time. The Asheville water filtration plant was under 8 feet of flood water (think muddy, debris-filled flood water); miles and miles of pipes were destroyed. They are saying it’s like replacing pipes from Asheville to Miami, Florida and back again (700 miles each way). Southern Appalachia will be without basic amenities for a long time.

• A number of grocery stores have now opened so food is available again for those who can get to it.

Many of our siblings have suffered trauma and shock from what they have experienced. Here are just a few examples to give you a sense of the situation and the service they are performing:

• Raven reported getting to the Lotus Barn (on day 5 I think) to have access to internet and electricity. When she lay down to rest, she became very cold, with chills, chattering, and shakes while under a wool hat and 4 blankets…the releasing of shock.

• John has been out checking on his animal chiropractic patients and families.

• Catarina has been staying with a person in the neurodivergent community who cannot stay by themselves.

• Ed and Paramjit have been out delivering food / water and being instruments.

• Deb C and George have been out helping wherever they can, delivering water, etc.; says that things “in the projects are bad” where no water and people can’t flush toilets.

• Caitlin is a nurse; she was at the hospital working on the 4th floor. She slept there for the first two nights, then worked for 3 more days straight as relief staff were stuck at home. Not being able to confirm her family was okay was tough (they are). The hospital was on a generator, but they lost water, charting / communication / transport systems early on. The ER was brutally understaffed with injured and non-survivors pouring in – it was a great relief when 3 or 4 days later, FEMA arrived and start setting up tents.

• Every one of the NWL siblings are for sure being instruments, giving their best to help neighbors and beyond.

Meanwhile they are hearing the heartbreaking stories, seeing the vast devastation, and feeling the vibes of fear and trauma around them. Some must have primary or secondary trauma. Please keep all beings, all Southern Appalachian hearts, and our NWL Asheville siblings in your prayers for complete healing on all levels.

National and private emergency help efforts were initially thwarted because of damaged / destroyed / blocked roads and bridges. Five days after the storm (five days), the residents began to see the National Guard and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) personnel. They are digging out, helping neighbors, getting through the daily requirements.

While our NWL sisters and brothers are basically ok,

• some sustained damages to their homes / property / cars.

• But a big issue is loss of work income for an undetermined period of time into the future. A significant percentage of our siblings there are on the lower end of things re: income as body workers, care givers, and social workers.

• Some NWL alumnae have ample resources and support systems for times like this; some do not have enough.

Like all things NWL, multiple alumnae have contributed to setting up this GoFundMe account, hoping to ease the minds of our brothers and sisters in Asheville just a bit…so their hearts can continue to be free to trust True Source completely, while being an instrument, just to make True Source happy.

We are reaching out to the NWL community at large in case your heart feels to donate to this GoFundMe account.

• We don’t fully know the extent of funds that will be needed.

• We also do not know the amount of money True Source wants to flow into this account.

• We had to put a “goal amount” to start this fund. We entered an amount that may be too large or too small.

• Please check your heart for an amount if you want to donate. We know that is how True Source will guide the amount wanted and needed.

• If there are any left-over funds not used by our NWL community, they will be donated to a local relief organization. The need is vast.

Thank you for any way you are able to help.

So grateful to our Beloved True Source.

This fund is a private fund, organized by alumnae of the Natural Way of Living courses. Neena (Anita) Read and Caroline Cowdrey are initiating this fundraising for the NWL Asheville, NC community. We are not a non-profit organization. Your donation may or may not be used for tax purposes. Please check with your accountant.