Support Katie's Relief Efforts in Asheville

Hi everyone from Asheville, where Hurricane Helene has caused tremendous damage and devastation. I am setting up this GoFundMe for my friend Katie, who is currently on the ground in Swannanoa, one of the worst-hit areas in the hurricane with the most folks in extreme need. Katie is a massage therapist by trade and an all-around tremendous human being. Katie is unable to earn any money right now as Asheville has no water and her business is closed, and Katie is unable to leave as she lives with her wife, Jen (who is triaging pets and animals in the parking lot at her work at a veterinary hospital), and Jen's senior parents who cannot travel. So Katie is going out every day to help folks one-on-one with finding needs like food and water and baby needs, things like flashlights and toilet paper, and everything else you can imagine. She is finding so many folks that can't even access help from FEMA or the government because they don't have access to a computer, so Katie has been carrying $20 bills in her pocket and just handing them to people. Katie also plans that she will go into Asheville with her massage chair to provide massage therapy for the first responders and volunteers in our community, but right now Katie is focused on helping as many people as she can.

Katie has two needs right now: 1) money to hand out to folks in need and to buy supplies or gas to go pick up supplies that have been brought to Asheville from other organizations and; 2) money to support any needs Katie may have for her efforts. I know Katie very well and can tell you that any funds donated will go directly to her for one of these two needs. Katie is one of the best people I know, and her ability to just get up every morning and continue to help people while she and her family are also struggling is one of the best stories coming out of Asheville right now.

If you'd like to donate directly to someone in Asheville who is making a difference for others and her own family, please donate for Katie. Every dollar helps right now. Thank you for reading and for considering a donation.