Hurricane Helene recovery efforts

The Beacon Foundation continues bringing together communities by helping businesses affected by Hurricane Helene. In the latest update, the Western North Carolina Nature Center received some much-needed assistance over the last week.

Among the animals that call the nature center home is Obi the river otter. Thanks to the Beacon Foundation, Obi had the pool he calls home filled with fresh, potable water.

“The Beacon Foundation, they’re just being wonderful in helping us to fill our large pool for our river otter, Obi, since the hurricane has come through,” commented Erin Oldread, Animal Curator at the Western North Carolina Nature Center.

Now he has more room for exercise and a source of drinking water, and life looks a little more normal for our semiaquatic friend.

“Obviously, we want to make sure that all the human needs are taken care of first, but now that water is a little more accessible out there, we’re really excited to be able to help out our animals as well.”

Beyond meeting the needs of animals at the Western North Carolina Nature Center, efforts like these are another step in bringing back revenue to the local area. The nature center is just one business affected by Hurricane Helene and unable to open its doors to locals and tourists alike.

Sustaining organizations like the Western North Carolina Nature Center means the community will have somewhere to visit once they can return to regular business hours.

The story at the nature center is one of many, but it’s a story of hope as even the smallest creatures affected by Helene start to experience some normalcy.

You can find the Western North Carolina Nature Center on Instagram: Instagram (@wncnaturecenter) and learn more about how they’re connecting people with the plants and animals of Southern Appalachia.

For all other updates on the recovery for the Swannanoa Valley, make sure you continue to follow us on our social channels and website as we keep a finger on the pulse of recovery post-Helene.

Instagram: Instagram (@wncbeacon)

Facebook: Beacon Foundation

As the Swannanoa Valley continues to heal (alongside the rest of WNC), the Beacon Foundation has continued to work with local businesses to broaden their reach and continue fundraising.

One example of that fundraising work is happening at a prominent music venue in Asheville, NC. The Orange Peel is a local hotspot for live music, comedy and community events.

For the month of November, The Orange Peel will be donating $1 for every ticket sold to the Beacon Foundation. With a max capacity of 1,050 and a fully packed schedule for the month, that’s a lot of donations that the Beacon Foundation can use in it’s mission in supporting the Swannanoa Valley in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Similarly, another popular music venue in the area, the Grey Eagle, held a benefit concert on Wednesday, October 30 for immediate relief efforts.

Net ticket proceeds from the show are being donated to both the Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance and Beacon Foundation. Performing are two local artists: Anya Hinkle and the Greenliners; their music is steeped in Appalachian heritage.

The benefit concert was able to raise a grand total of $425 benefitting disaster relief for Swannanoa.

Both of these musical updates are celebrated progress for both the Beacon Foundation and the people of Swannanoa. There is still a long road to recovery, but these moments of community are welcome news as continue to support the valley and the individuals who call it home.

As the Swannanoa Valley continues its recovery, the Beacon Foundation remains dedicated to coordinating efforts and providing essential resources to those in need.

The Beacon Foundation coordinated the delivery and set-up of a mobile phlebotomy bus through Quest Diagnostics. Swannanoa residents visited the bus that doubled as a makeshift doctor’s office equipped with three patient rooms.

The medical bus saw 40-50 patients per day who could not schedule regular doctor’s visits during this hectic time.
Medical staff included members from Collaborative Medical Care of Swannanoa, who attended to close to 300 patients in just over two weeks.

“The need for a primary care practice in Swannanoa has always been a need and with this disaster, there is no better time to bring ideally a free clinic to this community,” commented Katie Neligan, one of the medical providers on site. “The collaboration from the different healthcare entities in the area and the interdisciplinary care we have provided is a model that should continue to serve Swannanoa.”

Follow the Collaborative Medical Care of Swannanoa on Instagram to hear more about their efforts in the community, and learn more about Quest Diagnostics' medical bus in the full article by WLOS. 

Another immediate success of the foundation’s has been helping a local private school regain access to its facilities after being cut off by a collapsed road. With the road now passable, the school is preparing to reopen.

To support their efforts, the Beacon Foundation has provided Starlink units to restore internet access and funding for a flushing trailer to ensure proper sanitation as they get back on their feet.

Internet connectivity has been a pressing need for many in the area, so the Beacon Foundation has extended its efforts by providing an additional seven Starlink units to neighborhoods that have been without access. These units are helping families stay connected and informed during a crucial time.

Many residents in Lower Beacon Village have been driving and walking up to a quarter mile just to access basic sanitation facilities. To alleviate this burden, the Beacon Foundation has installed four porta johns in the neighborhood, providing much-needed relief to those affected.

The Beacon Foundation remains committed to supporting the Swannanoa Valley and working closely with local partners to meet both immediate and long-term recovery needs.

Together, we are here for the valley.

Co-Founder of Beacon Foundation, Casey Watkins, was recently able to speak to the success of the recent donation to non-profit, Bounty & Soul in an article with Black Mountain News.

“We just couldn’t think of a better partnership to align with and to make a sizable donations with considering what they’re actually doing for the community in Black Mountain and Swannanoa and elsewhere, connecting people with food. That’s just something that is extremely important and needed right now.”

Check out the full article here.

Progress remains slow but steady for the Swannanoa Valley as residents work tirelessly toward recovery.

The Beacon Foundation is holding regular meetings with local organizations and leadership.

We are deeply inspired by the resilience and support shown by organizations like the Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance, who are keeping the community informed on where they can find everything from drinking water pickups to where to find a hot meal at the end of the day.

“We’re not just here for, we are here with,” said Beacon Foundation Co-Founder, Meredith Ellison. “All around us, we see devastation, fear and loss. We also see tremendous bravery and camaraderie; stories of resilience rising from the rubble.”

The Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance is one example of that camaraderie and bravery that is essential to healing the Swannanoa Valley.

The Beacon Foundation plans on keeping our community updated on the path to recovery, and will have more to share in the coming weeks.

For ongoing updates on recovery efforts and ways to get involved, follow us on our new Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Instagram: Instagram (@wncbeacon)

Facebook: Beacon Foundation 

Swannanoa non-profit, Beacon Foundation, has made it’s first contribution to local organization, Bounty & Soul. Bounty & Soul, another WNC non-profit, works to provide individuals with access to fresh produce and nutritional education.

Beacon Foundation’s contribution to Bounty & Soul is the first step on a long journey to providing support to the Swannanoa community, but is not a first for the two organizations to work together.

Founders from both Beacon Foundation and Bounty & Soul are both from the local community and have an established working relationship after years of collaboration.

Through this $100k donation, Beacon Foundation can help ensure more food security to our neighbors during a time when so much else is unsure. Proceeds to Bounty & Soul at this time are going toward providing Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley with hot meals and produce.

With this money, Bounty & Soul can also help local farmers who lost crops during Helene, which will help to feed a malnourished and poverty stricken community.

Swannanoa is an unincorporated town that does not have the same degree of connectivity that can be found in cities only 11 miles away, like Asheville, NC.

So, not only is this community facing the overwhelming destruction left by Helene, but it also relies on broadly offered county services that can’t always meet the unique needs of the valley.

A part of Beacon Foundation’s mission is to address that lack of connective tissue in the Swannanoa Valley by creating a coalition of support through local efforts to meet local needs.“You don’t know what people really need and want until you hear it first hand.” said Ali Casparian, Executive Director and Founder of Bounty & Soul, highlighting the unique perspective of being a local non-profit helping their own community.

“I’ve never witnessed a more resilient community.” Casparian continued, speaking to the morale of the Swannanoa Valley in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

To learn more about this update, check out our full press release here. 

Be sure to stay tuned and learn what’s next for Beacon Foundation as we continue to share stories of growth and restoration for the Swannanoa Valley.