My Aunt and Uncle live a few hours’ drive outside of Asheville, North Carolina, in an area that was largely spared major destruction by Hurricane Helene. Drive west from their house, though, and the world rapidly changes to one of utter devastation ~ houses gone or collapsed, trees and mud everywhere, no drinkable water or medicine or food or clothing except what’s brought in by relief organizations. 

The response to the suffering and loss has been amazing ~ overwhelming, in fact, if the calls for a “pause” in donations is any reflection. I have to admit that I was a bit puzzled when I first saw this call a few days ago. Then I dug further and found out that what had happened was that so many donations had come in ~ from everywhere and by all sorts of avenues ~ that the folks on the ground doing the cleanup work had no place to put anything yet. Mud, tree limbs, lost housing things, all were still being dug out of any possible storage structures, and many of the people who needed the supplies were still working through the initial mind-boggling loss they’d experienced. 

What was needed, I learned, if those of us outside the area wanted to donate was a direct line into an organization that was in the middle of the clean-up and relief efforts. Enter Phil, my Uncle, who is a pastor and feels blessed to be part of a pastoral care team that is able to go into these areas to help.  He is the direct line we’ve been told we need to donate. That’s Part I.

Part II ~ enter John. John has been making quilts his entire life, learning the craft from his mother and grandmother. He makes big quilts for adults and families, small quilts for children, and tiny quilts for babies. He has donated all those quilts for all those years to different organizations who then give them to people who are cold. Well, it did occur to me that there are a lot of cold people in Western North Carolina. And we have quilts ~ three ready to send and many others that need to be tied and bound, but then will be ready. So we’re sending all we can. And John has reached out to those he knows who quilt ~ and they’re sending all they can. Right now, there will be over 20 quilts on their way to Phil, who will then take them into the mountains to the families who need them. 

Part of Sundance’s mission is to help the community in the many ways a community might need help. This is the help that’s needed right now. Please, if you know anyone who quilts, will you pass on this project? I have Phil’s address; anyone is welcome to reach out either to me or John ~ via Facebook Messenger,  phone, or our e-mail ~ and I will share it. There is so much that is heartbreaking and heavy in our country right now ~ how blessed are we to be able to add some warmth and lightness!

With Gratitude ~ Tracy