By Chris Herndon
NC Chapter Director
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Asheville and participating in a fundraiser for the Chapter's political action committee. The event was attended by dozens of Sierra Club members and elected officials, and raised roughly $64,000 to support Sierra Club-endorsed candidates in what is arguably the most consequential election of our lifetime.
As I left Buncombe County, I admired the rolling mountainside and the first speckles of changing leaves under a blue sky accented with white, pillowy clouds. I also reflected on the community pride, civic engagement, and entrepreneurial spirit that makes Western North Carolina so special. It made me all the more eager for my family’s annual fall visit to Boone.
So it was especially shocking to learn of the depth of devastation caused by Hurricane Helene the very next day. As I write, first responders are risking their own safety to help our mountain communities deal with the immediate destruction and loss of lives. Neighbors are reaching out to share whatever resources they may have, and to help each other cope with the emotional devastation as well as the physical.
Our hearts are with the people of Western North Carolina at this time. We mourn the lives lost as we continue to pray for those injured, displaced, or unaccounted for. We are hopeful for their safety and confident in our collective resilience.
In the coming weeks, when this region might have expected an influx of leaf-peeping visitors who are so important to its economic health, we will seek out and share with you any means available to support the long recovery and rebuilding ahead. For now, please consider a donation to the NC Disaster Relief Fund to help with Hurricane Helene recovery.
NC Department of Public Safety information hub
Blue Ridge Public Radio's list of ways to help
No one appreciates the beauty of nature while respecting its power quite like Sierra Club members and supporters – that's why we give our time, energy and passion to this organization and its mission. Our WNC and Blue Ridge Group volunteer leaders and members are among the Chapter's most engaged and effective. We stand with these Sierrans and all their neighbors now and for however long they will need us.