Dear sisters and brothers,

Four weeks ago today, Hurricane Helene swept across Western North Carolina leaving a devastating swath of destruction in her wake. The rivers and creeks rose up with historic, catastrophic flooding. The mountains came down in debris flows and slope failures. Downed trees and powerlines brought transportation to a standstill. The scope of the disaster is still difficult to grasp. The Major Disaster Designation in North Carolina alone includes forty counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The extent of loss of life and property is heartbreaking.

Yet, help and hope abound.

The sound of chainsaws began as soon as the rain stopped in my neighborhood. Neighbors began helping nearby neighbors, clearing roadways, providing water and power from generators, and offering shelter. In those first few days, we depended upon each other.

By Monday, the sound of chainsaws was replaced by the sound of Chinooks. From our deck, my husband and I watched a steady stream of cargo-laden CH-47F helicopters heading north in the valley towards the Asheville airport. Their distinctively loud “thunk-thunk-thunk” became the sound of hope. The outside world had arrived to help. People representing organizations such as FEMA, the Red Cross, the World Central Kitchen, Samaritan’s Purse, and the Cajun Navy Relief showed up to assist in rescue and recovery efforts and to provide essential services. And let’s not forget the linemen who came from faraway places to work grueling 16-hour days. All these people left their families and homes to sleep in makeshift camps to help us and comfort us. We are their neighbors, too. Thousands of churches and individuals from elsewhere in the country prayed for us and sent critical supplies to our region. More neighbors.

As for Holy Family Church and the communities of Mills River, Etowah, Flat Rock, Horse Shoe, Hendersonville, South Asheville, Fletcher, Arden, and Pisgah Forest (the communities which our congregants represent), we are doing relatively well compared to the areas north and east of us. Our church building and grounds were undamaged. Some of us sustained property damage, but we had no loss of life of life or injury in our congregation.

But we know that recovery will take years. We know that the rebuilding of roads, bridges and homes will take years. We know that the restoration of the local economy will take years. We know that adequate and affordable housing was difficult to find even before the storm. We know that some businesses will not recover, and more jobs will be lost in the coming months. We know that the mental health toll will be immeasurable.

What happens after Helene?

Help and hope abide.

Within days of the storm, friends, family members, and colleagues began reaching out to us asking how they could contribute financially. Rebecca (our bookkeeper) and I quickly set up a Storm Recovery Fund in our accounting system. I have witnessed the love of neighbors both nearby and from afar wanting to offer help and hope. If you would like to donate to Church of the Holy Family directly, I will ensure that your funds will be used at a local level to meet the pressing needs of the people in our communities. ​(Please see the link above.) Although there is an overwhelming amount of work that must be done in the rebuilding of our mountain communities, I know that Church of the Holy Family will make a noteworthy impact in the lives of some of the households and families around us. Although we are a small church, the people of Holy Family have long embodied God’s love with generosity and care for others. I thank you for your continued prayers for the people and communities of Western North Carolina.

Peace and blessings,