Dear friend,

Though I am back at work after my leave, I have been displaced from my home in Mitchell County following Helene’s catastrophic flooding. My community is devastated. My house is without power, cell service, and WiFi for the foreseeable future. This said, my daughter and I are splitting our time between Sylva, NC (where we have family support) and our home in Bakersville, NC. I am organizing relief efforts from Sylva and am coordinating with many partners and local congregations. If you have the capacity to help and would like to learn more about our efforts, please check our social media pages and website often. Updates will be posted frequently.

The past two weeks have been horrifying and heartbreaking. I have also seen the very best of humanity. We have worked tirelessly to love our neighbors. Lives have been saved. Still, we are hurting. If you have lost loved ones, I am devastated with you. If your childhood home is unrecognizable, I grieve that with you. If you still have friends unaccounted for, I am praying with you. 

I hope you will utilize this resource for free counseling as we process our collective trauma. You can also access therapists trained in responding at times like these by calling the Disaster Distress Hotline at 18009855990 or texting TalkWithUs to 66746. These numbers are available 24/7.

As I pray for you, please keep my family in your prayers as well. My daughter is confused and scared. If I’m being honest, I am too. Despite knowing a lot about climate change, nothing could have prepared me for this experience… At some point, I will write about it. I’ll write about the beautiful and the heart-wrenching…. the community and the loneliness. And of course, the many lessons I’ve learned (and am still learning) regarding climate resilience and how faith communities show up in the wake of disaster. Until then, all I want to say is, be gentle with yourself. Please offer yourself grace and tenderness as the adrenaline wanes. And know I am sending you love.

I look forward to seeing you, hugging you, and giving thanks for your one wild and precious life sometime soon. With blessings for peace and strength,

Sarah