Donate to Aid Natalie’s Family Post-Hurricane

Hey yall my name is Natalie! My family and I live in Asheville, NC. Along with everyone else in Western Nc we have been deeply affected by Hurricane Helene. We have 3 children with 2 still in the household and one in college. At the end of last year my husband and I decided to start a small property management company. From day one we poured everything we had mentally, physically, and financially into making our vision a reality. It was definitely a challenge, but we were determined to have a successful business. Although we were still technically living "paycheck to paycheck" we had finally started to gain some momentum when our dedication to growing the business paid off as we landed a contract for a multi-unit property. Moving into the final quarter of the year our company grew beyond our expectations. We were so proud of everything we had accomplished. It was such an awesome feeling to be able to start from scratch and work hard every day to build something worth fighting for, and that’s exactly what we’re having to do after September27th. That’s just the way life is sometimes, one moment you have everything going in the right direction, then out of nowhere it can all be taken in an instant. On that day, no one will EVER forget, our lives and the ones around us were turned upside down as Hurricane Helene devastated WNC. Helene brought some of the highest rainfall and the most severe flooding ever observed across the region. The damage in the region is extensive. Lives have been lost. Lots of homes, businesses, farms, and infrastructure are destroyed. Lots of ecological destruction. Lots of suffering. Many in Western North Carolina have lost everything. There is a silver lining though, amidst the devastation, people throughout the region are coming together to help rebuild. It’s been something special seeing extraordinary examples of selfless service, rescue efforts, and strength within our communities.

Given that the majority of our work is managing short term rentals, vacation homes and air bnbs this side of the business relies heavily on tourists. With the other side of our business being seasonal lawn maintenance and general upkeep of the properties. The destruction of Helene has left us with a large deficit in income as we lost work with people not coming to the area, some of our properties suffering damage and others are in areas where the roads were destroyed (i.e. Bat Cave, Chimney Rock). My car is also in need of serious repairs completely inoperable. We need my vehicle as that is the everyday family vehicle and this is adding to the obstacles we are facing trying to recover from this disaster. We are very hard workers, and we have debated about asking for help, but at this point we are desperate. We have applied for any and all assistance that we have found, we have exhausted every avenue that we know of and explored every lead. I see so many around us who have suffered far worse, but the fact of the matter is. we are here in the destruction and devastation along with everyone else.

Due to a significant loss of income over the past two months our bills have continued to pile up. The money we receive will go towards paying back rent, utilities, everyday essentials, some necessary lawn maintenance equipment for our business, and help with a new vehicle. Also, with Christmas coming we would love to be able to provide some sort of Christmas for our kids. Although our kids do understand that we are facing financial hardship, as a parent it is heartbreaking to know that we will not be able to give them gifts as we are unable to provide some everyday needs, let alone wants. If you can, please donate (every little bit will help) and if you can’t then please just share, say a prayer and send good vibes. Thank you in advance. My family is eternally grateful for the love and kindness we have experienced.