News
When the Weather Turns Cold
katie linsky shaw
Jan 15, 2025
Summary
BeLoved, a non-profit based in Asheville, NC, spent a cold, windy night passing out heaters and propane to residents in Swannanoa who were affected by Hurricane Helene flooding. Many of those residents are living in temporary housing because their homes were destroyed.
The evening started at the Ridgeview Manufactured Home Community as the cold weather front was moving in, bringing high winds and freezing temps. BeLoved volunteers, including directors Ponkho Bermejo and Amy Cantrell, met with crews from Andale Construction who were repairing homes close to the Swannanoa River that had flooded. Volunteers also passed out heaters and other supplies to families in the community who are living in campers while their homes are being repaired.
Next, BeLoved volunteers drove along Old US Highway 70, stopping by areas where homes destroyed by the storm had been replaced with campers as temporary housing. They were conducting “street outreach,” which is usually done to assist unhoused people living on the streets. Cantrell commented how interesting it was to do this type of outreach in a neighborhood. In the dark, volunteers knocked on doors offering heaters and propane. They took phone numbers of people they met and made plans to return with much-needed gravel to fill in muddy areas.
392
