Help Shannon Recover After Devastating Flood in Asheville NC

Hi friends, I'm Missy Groothuis (Holland MI), and my dear friend Shannon Elhart has experienced a devastating loss and I'm asking for help.

Shannon recently moved into a dream space (tiny, but perfect) in Asheville, NC along the Swannanoa River. If you have been following the news, Asheville is experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime flooding event due to Hurricane Helene. Shannon left in the middle of the night Thursday to higher ground as the river rose. She (and her dog Asha) are safe, but not well, she lost everything. EVERYTHING she owned. Photos, personal papers, medications, clothes, jewelry, computers (family treasures that no amount of money can replace) ... EVERYTHING (she found her mattress in the river and her sheets hanging from a tree)! She has her dog, her car, and the clothes on her back.

While this situation is devastating in and of itself, Shannon has also been working really hard over the last several years to get back on her feet after some very difficult personal situations that have left her in some of the darkest moments of her life (it wasn't long ago she was living in Maryland at a friends as she got herself back on her feet, hitting a rock bottom and crawling back out with intense therapy and the support of people who love her). She has worked hard to heal and be well and FINALLY settled into this new space that she made her home. It's only been 3 weeks. I have never heard her more happy and content in this place; her life was moving in the right direction both in her work and her personal life.

Many of you may know that Shannon has not had an easy time of it ... she has experienced major losses in her life (her baby Jonathan, divorce, the loss of a parent and more). Now, she has been stripped of all her belongings.

I'm beyond grateful that Shannon and Asha were spared as many in her community were not. If you know Shannon, she is a person that leaves you feeling better than you felt when you first encountered her. She would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. She has worked with children and adults throughout her adult life and so many have benefitted from her gifts. It's time for Shannon to receive. Please find it in your heart to help her in this dire time. She needs help replacing clothes, household items, everything you can think of that makes a home.