Support my Recovery from Hurricane Helene, Thanks

Hello dear freinds, sangha, family,

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am reaching out from a place of surrender, courage, hope, and gratitude, and I pray these words reflect my truest heart and authentic intention.

I live in Asheville, North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene has caused catastrophic damage to lives, the land, and infrastructure. The enormity of the destruction here and in surrounding towns is unprecedented. The core infrastructure has collapsed—power lines, water treatment and delivery systems, fiber optic lines, and cellular towers have been destroyed. The force of the 24.5 feet of rising water and currents just melted the land into mud, exposing pipes buried deep and floating homes down the river. I could not describe it. It's everywhere. There were giant trees on trees and power lines on lines. And mud, everywhere. So much loss. I have never seen anything like this. I have also never seen citizens organize and rise up for each other with such urgency and commitment.

The visceral reality of this destruction feels like the Twilight Zone. The reality on the ground is daunting. My life is shaken in ways I couldn’t have foreseen, leaving me vulnerable in ways that are difficult to express. The devastation is surreal, and as I start to chip away at the overwhelm, I face an uncertain future. As I explore my options, I realize that recovery will not come quickly. My livelihood, which depends on thriving local businesses, has been completely upended by the storm’s devastation.

For decades, I have loved these hills of Western North Carolina; they have been my refuge, a place of freedom and adventure. I have made them my full-time home for weeks, months, and years at a time—many Thanksgivings spent in Sparta, months in Boone, sheltering in a tiny cob house in Flat Rock during the pandemic, countless hikes at Jones Gap Falls, camping, and cycling for days and days along the joyful wonderland that the Blue Ridge Parkway has been for me, roads so familiar that I knew every twist and elevation of some stretches. I have lived here full-time for over a decade. Seeing the extent of the damage and being here amidst it, I feel deeply connected to this community and its struggles.

I feel my dense tendency to isolate, subtly infused with the scent, the sound, and the taste of urgent energetic collective uprising. It’s a whisper that streams through collective timelines.

Like many others here, my livelihood has been taken away by the storm. As I navigate the path forward, I humbly ask for your support, both as an individual and as a member of the Appalachian communities. I have applied for FEMA’s individual disaster relief and Disaster Unemployment Assistance, yet the process is slow and uncertain, and the funds, as grateful as I am for whatever may come, would not get me far. I do not qualify for small business grants, and there is no rental assistance program available at this time.

Any financial support I receive will go toward rent, utilities, essential living expenses, and possibly a temporary relocation if necessary. This request, because of the suffering of so many others here, feels nearly impossible to justify, but I am reaching out to you because the need is real. Any amount, no matter how small, I promise will make a difference in this time of uncertainty. If this is not possible, or if you prefer, your prayers for the people and land of Western North Carolina are needed and deeply felt.

Trusting in your generosity and believing that I am worthy of this expression of care and concern is a very long leap of faith for me.

Last week was a time warp. As a friend put it: "The breadth and depth of concurrent and undulating emotions in the backdrop of wrestling needs and values has been impressive and humbling—fear, awe, relief, shock, grief, appreciation, guilt, gratitude, compassion, shame, desire, admiration, community, exhaustion, and a stark sense of alone-ness."

Thank you for your kindness, understanding, and any support you are able to offer. I am exhausted. I am lucky to be here, and to know you.

To be clear, I, Soraya Cadi, live in Asheville, NC and will recieve any offering from you directly and I will use it for rent, utlities, essential living expenses, and possible relocation if necesary. I was asked to clarify as there apparently is fraudulent fundraising on gogundme that uses Hurricaine Helene as a cover.

This is real for me.

With much love and gratitude,

Soraya