I Love You, Western North Carolina (And Every Reader!)

Gratitude, and a food bank that needs our help

Hi everybody. I am worried about those of you in the path of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene. It has affected ten states and an estimated 32 million people so far. A colleague shared with me today that approximately 15 percent of the people living in storm-affected areas have an income below the federal poverty line.

Some of my own friends and colleagues were right in the midst of massive destruction in Buncombe County, NC (that's Asheville marked with a faded heart on my arm in the image above.) And I've heard plenty of wonderful stories about folks banding together. It is what they always do in time of need. And thankfully, there are people in that area who have ample training in camping, survival skills, and making do with very little.

Still, the burden of this storm is unlike anything we've seen in our lifetime.

Swannanoa, the town where I attended Warren Wilson College, is fucked. It's not gone, but many of the businesses are wiped out entirely. Many homes are still standing, but have sustained incredible water damage and are still flooded. Biltmore Village, the little enclave that grew up around the Biltmore Estate, is absolutely fucked. A colleague waited in line for two hours the other day for water, and couldn't get any, but was able to obtain Gatorade and apple juice for their little family (two adults and a toddler).

I usually do separate posts for Patreon and my Substack newsletter, SARATONIN, so I hope you will not mind that I am cross-posting today. I work at a nonprofit organization that provides healthcare and disaster relief, and it is a very busy time for us, but I don't want to neglect expressing my gratitude for your support for my art in September.

To explain the difference between what I do on Patreon and what I do on Substack: folks on Patreon typically get four posts per month, including photos, writing, and my occasional patrons-only podcast, THE AUDIO LETTER. Folks on Substack get four issues of SARATONIN per month if they are free subscribers, and two EXTRA issues exclusively for paid subscribers.

This is just an extra post for everybody, because I genuinely want to check in on you. I know those who don't have easy access to wifi may not see this at all, or may see it a few weeks down the line.

I have heard that Asheville will likely not have power restored before Friday, and may not have potable running water for weeks. I have heard from friends who are grilling out, grateful to have better weather and helpful neighbors willing to share cooking fuel.

My friend Stephan Pruitt was born and raised in WNC. He's a great photographer and videographer (we work together often on projects) and his Instagram is an incredible resource for photos and video footage. He's safe and was able to get out today to head off to a prearranged assignment.

The biggest community foodbank in Buncombe County, MANNA, has been utterly destroyed. They are ready to rebound and resume providing food to those in need just as soon as they can. They need donations to do so, and I hope you will help them out. I have friends who've volunteered with them and friends who've received food assistance from them.

Thanks for your kindness, for helping support my art, and for being generous with the wider community. I appreciate you very much. If you've got other reputable nonprofits and mutual aid funds serving storm-affected folks in the Southeast, please drop links in the comments. Thank you!

Lots of love,

Sara