this will be a long one.... maybe a cup of tea would be nice to sip on while reading....
have you ever felt torn between land and sea? so much of my heart still resides in the mountains of WNC where we lived for about four years. i was there about 4 weeks ago visiting my daughter, the weekend before hurricane helene went ripping through. since then, my focus has been to share what folks there are going through, to raise funds, make art for a cause, get supplies where they need to go, and to let my friends and loves who live there know that i care. the amount of love that is pouring into the communities there is bigger than the current in the rivers when they were at their highest. mightier than all the trees that were uprooted, and as beautiful as the blue ridge mountains themselves. no matter what, LOVE will step in and step up.
the first thing i did was started a gofundme for folks in celo nc. (sharing helps so much)!
i remember sitting at tidal creek co-op with my dear friend ginger. still hadn't heard from my daughter yet, but knew in my heart she was okay. finally heard from her days after the storm, from a satellite phone letting me know she was safe and she loves me. that message was worth a million dollars + some...
thank you to all who have supported this fundraiser. it's truly helping lots of folks, especially single moms with children. if you have thought about donating, it's not too late, or if you tried and it didnt go through please try again~ (sharing is so helpful too!) it's going on four weeks and there is still so much to do. my daughter is in direct contact with many mamas and their needs are vast. IF you are interested in "sponsoring /adopting" a family so to speak, please let me know and i will get details and names to you. one mama and her daughter are living in an 8 foot yurt. another mama (misty) lost everything in the storm. they are staying with a friend of hagan's for now. there are SO many stories of loss but commUNITY is strong there.
you know what inspires me? generosity. ailee, (mom above) is a single mom of two and coninuously feeds moms and children and friends who are in and out of her house visiting.(the love hub is what i would call her place). she once had a bridge to get to her home that she rents in celo. that bridge is gone, so the path to home is different... through a neighbors land. rent payments didn't stop just because there was a flood, yet she supports and cares for so many friends in need. SHE inspires me. the two jobs she had are gone and who knows when they will be back. she's also a talented artist and is selling this framed original. let me know if it's meant to be yours, and we will exchange details. in addition, she would love to start a non-profit to support single moms. anyone know anything about starting a non-profit??
8 1/2 x 11
original drawing
$200.
more about generosity~ rooted n love apothecary connected with me via instagram and asked what they needed in celo. my daughter told me there is a need for nervines and herbal medicine. the next thing i knew, rooted n love sent me a package FULL of herbal concoctions to support the nervous system and for immune support. this is the kind of thing that makes such a world of difference and lets people know they are supported and loved from afar. i will be taking this, along with more supplies, food, coats, blankets and donated items to celo very soon.
my niece, julia works with the washington post and was able to see hagan (and hagan to see her) while she was in WNC. hearing from julia that hagan was okay made us feel so good and relieved. you can see julia's work here.
"before the flood".... words spoken by my daughter when i was talking to her recently. when i was young, my grandma croom used to refer to the year they had the 100 year flood and still had stories to tell about that. memories of that time still haunted her even after years and years had passed her by. when hagan said "before the flood" it hit me how much life has changed literally over night for her and so many people. from now on there is "before the flood" and "after the flood."
mountain folks are strong.(just ask anyone from appalachia and they will tell you ;) but this is a life changing moment, the most unexpected thing happening in the mountains.flooding like this just doesn't happen there... so much devastation and destruction is there and it will take months / years to cleanup up - support will be needed for a long time to come. i will continue to share ways to help and ask for support in the coming months.
i wanted to share some "before the flood" images. sweet and real. moments in time caught on camera with no knowledge of what was to come.......don't you know they will continue to shine... in different ways than before, but they will nonetheless.
hagan has mama friends that would love some yarn. for weaving, knitting, crocheting... the little things that make it feel more 'normal'.... if you or someone you know has some yarn you would like to gift, let me know and i'll share an address to mail it to, or if you're local (wilmington), i can pick it up and get it to them. xx
when hagan was here visiting a couple of months ago, she left her screens for screenprinting here. she gave me a tutorial, as it had been years since i did any screenprinting and i have been using her screens with her art/designs to make prints to fundraise with. hagan lost her job as well, and this is my way to support her in a small way. suggested donation of $20 per print with a sliding scale is requested. if you want one (or more) let me know and i will give you her venmo info. people are using these as prayer flags, patches, to use in mixed media art work, to sew onto other fabrics and more... i am particularly in love with the Mother Mary print. this is what is left.
there is so much more to say but your tea might have run out by now. follow my instagram for more updates and to stay in touch.
i truly hope that wherever you are, you are safe, well and have what you need. what i am sharing here is the tiniest tip of the iceberg of what is happening in WNC. do what you can when you can and know that a little goes a long way and it's all appreciated and needed.
celo inn gardens
september 19, 2024
(the celo inn is not able to rebuild due to all the damage)
i'll leave you with this song i wrote this morning -- steeped in memories of my time in celo down by the river. if i had a banjo and a recorder i could sing it for you. maybe another time~
the birds still sing and the river still flows
'going down to the river today
going to get my feet wet
pickin' up some pieces of mica on the way
down to the river
birds are singing as they always do
at the edge of the river
harmonizing with the wind in the trees
fluttering of wings and leaves in the breeze
down by the river
reflections of their songs in the water below
down on the river
sitting in the sun and watching her flow
oh holy river
the birds still sing and the river still flows
oh holy river
where she's going nobody knows
oh holy river
oh holy river
holy flowing river'
south toe river
celo nc
september 20, 2024
there are so many folks in need and so many ways to help, donate, raise money, share, collect supplies, drop off supplies, etc. my heart is with everyone in WNC. if you have a fundraising idea or want to talk about ways to support, please reach out. if you have supplies to donate but need help getting them there, i can help you find a way.
here are a few ways to help now
with love and deep gratitude,
kim
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