The Kindness of Strangers, Asheville, NC
The photo: A mule train headed into the mountains of North Carolina near Asheville. They are carrying supplies like food and water as well as insulin and other needed prescription drugs to stranded people. My understanding is that mule trains have been employed both by private companies and by FEMA.
A very dear friend of mine lives is Asheville. We have been in touch regularly since the devastating floods following Hurricane Helene. I'd love to interview people there and write a book about their kindness and generosity in the face of adversity. What makes the Asheville story so special is how unexpected it was. If one lives in Florida, for example, hurricanes are a condition of living there. But Asheville? So far from the ocean. No one saw it coming. It wiped out the thriving art colony, whole towns, roads. And on and on.
Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
.From my dear friend who lives in Asheville.
Hi friends and family -
I just want to send a word of special gratitude about FEMA. I have never had the need to have a personal encounter with FEMA before and so I have not really experienced the impact and power of FEMA and the great men and women who serve us through FEMA.
Over this last week, there has been the constant sound of military helicopters overhead. It’s a very different sound than private or hospital helicopters. These are the gigantic helicopters that are bringing in people and supplies, and scouring the mountains for folks whose escape roads have been destroyed. The helicopters have also brought in packs of mules to take supplies up into the mountains and bring back survivors. What an amazing orchestration of skill, service, and courage.
Yesterday my neighbor called me to say she thought she was having a heart attack. We called 911 and I went to her home to wait with her. The ambulance that came was a FEMA ambulance. Two women EMT providers were brilliant and saved her life.
And not 20 minutes later, a FEMA van passed me up as I was walking down my street. They were surveying neighborhoods to identify any damaged homes that need attention.
And all of these services are in addition to their efforts to build bridges and roads so that our community can survive.
So, so grateful for FEMA.
