Looking Back

by Jamie Wiener, Executive Director

As I reflect on the year since Hurricane Helene, I am struck by a whole range of emotions. We made the difficult decision to cancel our Harvest Dinner just days before Helene hit. While we knew it was the right call, we worried about losing funding from our largest fundraiser of the year. But in the days that followed, there was little time to dwell on that concern as our team immediately sprang into action. 

I have always known the capacity for care in this organization, but what I witnessed in the months after the hurricane was extraordinary. Fortunately, our building remained secure and powered, allowing us to open our doors and share everything we had with our neighbors. We became a laundry site not only for our staff but also for moms using cloth diapers who needed a place to wash them. Even though many team members were personally affected, they showed up without hesitation. We raided child care snack closets to provide food, distributed diapers and formula in quantities we could barely keep track of and checked in with every client to assess needs. In the immediate aftermath, we provided essentials such as car seat replacements, safe sleep items, food, cleaning supplies, heaters, and child care payments for 63 children, totaling $20,000. We also offered $9,808 in one-time rental assistance, distributed $36,000 in Save the Children repair funds to 12 child care centers in Henderson and Transylvania Counties, and directed $35,000 in ARPA funding to families for urgent needs like food, utilities, and transportation. 

Though we had to cancel our annual Art in the Park event due to flooding at Fletcher Park, we quickly pivoted to create activity kits for children out of school and in need of engagement. Staff also volunteered at local distribution centers, sorting donations and supporting the broader community effort. 

Beyond meeting immediate needs, we recognized the emotional toll the hurricane took on youth and families. To support long-term resiliency, we launched a Circle of Parents group for parents of teens navigating mental health challenges, creating a safe space for connection, encouragement, and shared problem-solving. We also added a Bilingual Disaster Case Manager to help families overcome barriers to accessing resources. All of this work is grounded in trauma-informed practices—principles we have strengthened through our five-year partnership with Crossnore’s Trauma Resilient Communities initiative. These practices sustain our staff through their own recovery while equipping them to walk alongside families as they rebuild stability and resilience. 

The way this community came together will remain etched in my memory. In a world that often feels so divided, I hope we all remember how we fed our neighbors without asking how they voted, shared power banks with those who worship differently, and cut trees for people whose views may not align with our own. 

I will forever hold space for both the devastation and the extraordinary collaboration, connection, and care that emerged in the wake of Hurricane Helene.