Hope for Kelli: After the Storm

Shannon Hill is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Kelli Leberecht.

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Support Kelli's Journey: Rebuilding After Hurricane Helene

Hello, I’m Shannon Hill, and I’m organizing this fundraiser for my cousin, Kelli Leberecht, who was deeply impacted by Hurricane Helene in Asheville, NC.

Just before Helene hit, Kelli had moved into a new rental home and signed a 3-year lease for her newly co-founded tattoo shop, Wild Kind Tattoo. The weekend of the hurricane was meant to be Wild Kind's Grand Opening. While the shop was spared from flooding, there's currently no usable running water, and the local economy has been devastated. Kelli's dream is to stay in Asheville and open the shop when water is restored—though that may take months. She has poured her life savings into launching this business.

In addition to her shop’s challenges, Kelli lost her home, vehicle, and many personal belongings in the storm. She’s working through insurance claims but still has eight months left on her vehicle loan. Unfortunately, her renter's insurance doesn't cover flood damage, and FEMA only provides limited temporary housing and vehicle assistance.

Kelli doesn’t yet know where or how she’ll rebuild, but she’s determined to move forward, and that’s where we can help.

This fundraiser is to support Kelli in rebuilding her life and business, wherever and whenever that may be.

Kelli is originally from Kenosha, WI, where she co-founded Talulah Tattoo and was deeply involved in giving back to the community. She supported organizations like Safe Harbor Humane Society, NAMI, and Walkin in My Shoes.

Since Hurricane Helene, Kelli has dedicated her time to helping others in Asheville. She's been working tirelessly to spread the message about the urgent needs of her community. She and other artist friends have carried buckets of water to flush toilets in elder care facilities, gone on supply delivery runs, and wants to stay boots on the ground to rebuild the city.

Her advocacy has already driven action, but now she needs support too so she can keep helping in months to come.

Kelli has given so much to others—it’s time for us to show up for her. Every donation helps her rebuild her home, her business, and her life.

Thank you for your generosity and support!

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Below is a personal note from Kelli:

More than two weeks after Helene, many different realities are existing at once. I am without permanent housing or work, and my car didn't survive the flood, yet I consider myself extremely lucky. I have a safe place to stay for the next couple of months for my dog, cat, and me. I have power and running water, and I have an astronomical amount of supporters checking on me and taking care of my current needs. While I am stable for a month or two, reality is quickly setting in that, while I can replace my lost belongings in time and will have some car insurance to help me get mobile, the future is extremely uncertain.

What we can't predict is how long it will take for Asheville to bounce back economically from this disaster. Even after everyone has power and water in a few months, the instability here will remain. With thousands of businesses and homes ruined, many people are leaving the area indefinitely, and tourism is halted. Our economy relies greatly on visitors and busy seasons, so while a lot of us want to stay and help rebuild this community, we have no idea if we can sustainably do so. My short-term plan is to stay and try to do just that, as long as it is feasible. While leaving town is an "option," it still means having to start over. Having just invested every last penny of mine into a tattoo studio in Asheville with a 3-year lease this summer, the room to pivot is slim at the moment, and the desire to do so is even less.

I have committed to building a life in Asheville for the past 3.5 years, and this is now my home. The pain of those who have resided in these mountains for multiple generations is unimaginable. Many locals have had their worlds flipped upside down overnight, and with far fewer resources than those of us who are modern transplants. The thought of starting over is overwhelming for me; I can't even imagine what it will take for those who have nothing left.

The tragedy of knowing that many things that make our city and land special are gone and forever changed is hard to stomach. While it is possible to rebuild some of these things, it will take years and years to accomplish. The community has banded together here in ways I think many of us never thought possible, and to witness that has been life-changing, to say the least. This disaster has shown us how it is nearly impossible to go it alone in this world. While I have always known that, experiencing it firsthand is something different. Though I have guilt that I survived this with many aspects of my life still intact, I know I need help too, and that I am worthy of receiving it. I know I will be okay. I know that I am not alone, and I couldn’t be more thankful knowing that through something this tragic, I am safely held by my people.