Back in October, I had the chance to volunteer in Swannanoa, North Carolina, one of the areas worst hit during the Hurricane Helene natural disaster that decimated areas of Western North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.

I have never seen such devastation in my life... It was like a war zone...

But amongst the harm and heartache were amazing people who dropped everything to come and literally rescue their fellow man. Juxtaposed to the decimation of this event, I have also never seen a greater display of good and generosity amongst those there to help rebuild.

Appalachians are a special people. They have a culture of giving whatever they have to help others even when they aren't really in the position to do so themselves. This includes people like those amazing volunteers at the Swannanoa Christian Church. Members of the congregation have been actively helping the community rebuild for months following this extreme weather event.

I recently reached out to the church to see what they needed for winter, as people are still living in tents and make-shift shelters months later, and the weather is becoming more severe. They told me that because a lot of families still don't have kitchens to cook Christmas dinners in, one thing that would have an amazing impact this Christmas would be funds for survivors to take their families out to dinner for the holiday.

If you are able to give even just $5 dollars, collectively, I know we can come together to help the families of Swannanoa remember that we have not forgotten our fellow Americans this Christmas.

If any excess funds are generated, they will be donated to the church for any other outstanding needs going forward, as this process of recovery will likely take years.

Thank you so much for your donations in advance!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Allyson