HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF
In the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we are seeking your support to continue our emergency response for as long as is needed. Please consider donating to our efforts and passing along this link to folks who may be interested in supporting.
Beginning on the morning of September 28, one day after the storm, Southside Community Farm staff and volunteers were on the ground in the Southside neighborhood getting water, food, and other necessities directly to people’s homes. We focused on getting resources to those who do not have cars, who are caretakers of small children and/or other residents, or who are elders/disabled and are unable to leave their homes.
At the beginning of this crisis, there was no centralized water, food, or resource assistance. Asheville did not have potable water for nearly two months, homes and businesses were destroyed, community members were lost, and many folks lost income. It has been up to us as communities and neighbors to support each other. The Southside community cares for one another in ways that we could never replicate and our goal is to support this care and provide relief in any way we can. The impact of this catastrophe is life changing and unprecedented.
Once infrastructural repairs were underway and water and electricity were accessible once again, we focused our response work on increased food access for Southside and public housing residents, many of whom lost a significant amount of income during the storm and its aftermath. Under the leadership of staff member Kate Wheeler, we doubled our veggie box delivery program, supporting about 60 households per week with fresh food, kids snacks, and other requested supplies, as well as extending the program into the winter months.
As recovery continues into 2025, we are making sure to keep the free fridges and pantries well stocked as we continue to support long-term food access and emergency resiliency in Southside.
Our work was recently featured in The Laurel of Asheville. Check out their article about us, “Southside Community Farm Commits to Program Expansion in Aftermath of Helene“.
