Dear Aging Services Community and Friends,

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Last week, you received an e-mail about the collaborative effort of the North Carolina Association on Aging (NCAOA), the North Carolina Coalition on Aging (NCCOA) and the North Carolina Association of Area Agencies on Aging (nc4a) to establish and promote a Hurricane Helene Relief Fund to assist older adults and local aging service providers that are facing challenges due to the severe flooding and widespread damage across western North Carolina. Thank you to those of you who have already contributed to this Fund which will be used to help older adults with their basic needs and support local aging service providers who are working tirelessly on the ground.  

 

We are hearing many stories that highlight why this Fund is so greatly needed. Reports are coming in of many local agencies, some of which sustained significant flooding and other damage, that have opened their doors as distribution centers for assistance and are reaching out directly to older adults to ensure they have food and shelter and that their other critical needs such as access to needed prescription medications are met. Staff members of many of these local providers are working long hours and have been doing so since the storm began, and such a sustained effort can put a strain on agency resources.

 

Please take a minute to read this excerpt from an email Nancy Hogan, Family Consultant for Project C.A.R.E, Land of Sky Regional Council, received from a client who lives in Henderson County. It describes the horrific reality of what families are facing in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

 

We've lost several friends and 11 family members and still have some missing. We received word that some are ok, and some are still stranded at Nesbitt's Chapel on Garren Creek Rd. in Fairview. That's where my mom's family is from, and a lot of them still live there. There's no way out still, but they are getting food and water to them by helicopter drops when possible, and other friends, family, and community are taking supplies by horses, mules, and ATVs. The road is gone; it's about another 30-minute drive by car to where they're stranded. They said that everything below the church is gone. My aunt's houses are gone, my cousin's houses are gone, and everything is gone. They recovered two dead bodies from the yard where my Aunt's house used to be. It's a very sad time for us. Some of Momma's 1st cousins and families washed up downstream, and their bodies were recovered. Others have been found buried by huge mudslides. Others still missing. Momma's not even been able to sleep because she's so upset. It's a difficult time for us.

 

Your financial support of the Fund is invaluable and your assistance in spreading the word within your networks about it is greatly appreciated. Every dollar raised will play a significant role in helping communities in western North Carolina heal and rebuild by supporting efforts such as those noted above.

 

To contribute to the Fund, go to Hurricane Relief Fund.

 

Thank you for considering this opportunity to help during this challenging time.

 

Sincerely,

 

Thessia Everhart-Roberts, President

NCAOA Board of Directors

 

Mary Bethel, Chair

NCCOA Board of Directors

 

Mary Marlin, Chair

nc4a Board of Directors