Get Critical Aid to Families with Complex Needs in WNC

Hi I’m Helen and I’m a 2x ASU graduate from App's incredible special education program and I am currently working as an EC teacher in Charlotte, NC.

I’ve always gotten a bit of a reaction when I tell someone in NC my name… mostly because I’m not, idk, 90? (sorry m+d) but now it has a whole new layer to it, especially here in Western NC. While my name is not HelenE, it’s close enough to trigger a painful collection of memories and stories after Hurricane Helene ripped through some of our most vulnerable communities.

Hurricane Helene has demolished our Blue Ridge Mountains, swallowing whole towns, creating fly-in-only communities where families have no water, no power, no service, and no way out. We still don’t know how many lives Helene took as our death toll continues to rise, and we search for the hundreds of people still missing.

I’ve spent the last few days helping with disaster relief, specifically getting aid and emergency supplies to families in our more rural communities who have children and/or adults with disabilities. I’ve already gotten over $2,500 worth of supplies to these families, but we are just getting started in helping these people get the aid they need and deserve. After the outpour of donations sent to me on Venmo, I’ve made a GoFundMe to protect and track donations and connect with more families in the 828 who may need our help. These funds will go towards buying critical shortage supplies like formula, personal care items, and food/water for high risk families. I want to help as many families as I can while I have a place to stay here in Boone, but with a teacher’s budget, there’s only so much I can do financially on my own. Thank you for your support. I’ll post photos of supply trips and tree snaps on my way to these towns but I will not be taking/sharing photos of these families unless they ask me to and give me consent to share.