Hi everyone, I’m Emily Heehs (Eacho), and I’m Alice Eacho’s sister. As I’m sure you’ve all heard from the news, Asheville, NC, was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, and the destruction has been catastrophic. My sister, her daughter Zalea, and her boyfriend Chris have been living through it firsthand.

Since the storm hit, they’ve been without power, water, and barely any cell service, making it tough to know the full state of things. For days, they were trapped in their neighborhood by a tangle of downed power lines, huge fallen trees, and shattered transformers, unable to leave by car. Thankfully, tonight they’ve had some relief as a friend is letting them stay in their home, and we feel so blessed that nobody was hurt. But they are just taking this day by day.

As her sister, I’m looking ahead and seeing that her future is truly uncertain. A giant tree fell on Zalea’s bedroom while she was sleeping, making it unsafe for her to stay there. Thankfully, they’re all safe, but the whole experience has been truly overwhelming. The Pilates studio where Alice works is closed for the foreseeable future, and their income is uncertain, yet they still have bills to pay and immediate needs to cover.

While we feel blessed for their safety, our hearts hurt for Asheville, for her community, and for all the people who lost loved ones. This recovery is going to take much longer than anyone could have imagined. Let’s help ease the blow for them by contributing just a little bit. Any help you can give will mean so much to them during this time.