“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
― Fred Rogers
I have witnessed this with my very own eyes. Hurricane Helene has been such a community uniting event here in Transylvania County in Western North Carolina. We have seen the best of humanity step up every single day and I am so grateful to be a small part of this community.
Social media gets slammed so often for being unhelpful but it has truly been a lifeline for our county during this horrific event. Facebook post upon Facebook post continue to share where resources and services are within our county and provide a valuable resource for those seeking assistance. Each day more and more resources are being shared and everyone is pitching in.
Sharing House, where I gratefully was able to give hugs to all the staff finally today, where crisis assistance is what they do every single day has exploded with more volunteers and donations than can be imagined. A woman donated her Starlink connection so that Connestee Falls residents could send 3 minutes of texts to family and friends the days after the storm to let them know they were okay. Churches are filling their fellowship halls with supplies, serving meals and offering respite from the ravages of the event. Hair salons are offering free shampoos and blow outs for those who are victims of the hurricane. Downtown merchants are conducting drives to collect tents, outdoor equipment and warm coats and clothing as the temperatures begin to drop. Restaurants are opening up and offering “pay as you can” or free meals to locals who have lost their food due to the power outages. A local volunteer organization is organizing card writing events to flood the linemen who are repairing the power lines with notes of gratitude. The list goes on and on. It is truly the best of humanity coming together to support one another.
My trip into Brevard looks a lot different than it did a couple of weeks ago. A huge mudslide has taken away part of the road and the trip that used to take 20 minutes at most now takes 35 minutes or longer. It’s a minor inconvenience but that’s it – an inconvenience. We have been told that the road will be back open by the end of the week but that is unreal to me after seeing pictures of it. It is going to take a lot of work to get it back into drivable condition.
But through it all, I have seen the helpers. Those people who are the heroes of this storm will always have my admiration and thanks. Out of the worst situations sometimes the best of humanity is revealed. My prayer is that that continues and as Milton looms in the near future aiming to hit Florida I pray that those helpers are in Florida as well.
Take care, my friends, and know that I am grateful that you are here reading this today. Hug the neck of someone you love and tell them how much they mean to you. It’s during times like this that we have to share that love with one another.
