By Tressie McMillan Cottom / The New York Times
For a lot of reasons that seem silly in hindsight, as Hurricane Helene had begun to cut a path through North Carolina and Tennessee, a friend and I drove into the Appalachian Mountains. Because the interstates were shutting down as we drove, the GPS device took us through dark, winding back roads that tested my faith in technology.
At one point, I had to pull over to manage my anxiety. Alongside me, one of those luxury pickup trucks built for comfort and status pulled up; the driver motioned for me to roll down my window. I thought about serial killers briefly before cracking it just an inch.
In that moment, I met a local West Virginia family who was out checking on neighbors, because the wind had felled trees and power lines, leaving people stranded. After I explained why I was in their neck of the woods, the family insisted on leading me out of the treacherous mountains and down to the main highway. And that’s what we did. For almost 45 minutes, a white family with all the trappings of rural life inched along at 15 or so mph to deliver me to safer ground.
It is said that Americans pull together in the wake of disaster. I have seen it after hurricanes, during covid-19 and in the moments after a school shooting. We are divided. We are competitors for capitalistic spoils. We are often enemies. But something about a natural disaster calls to our shared humanity.
That is what I have seen since Hurricane Helene. All the disinformation and destruction aside, my friends and colleagues who were in the storm’s path have drawn on the community that makes the South my home. Appalachian people, in particular, are proud of helping one another survive.
Those of us who don’t live in the region can help, too.
Places from well-known Asheville, North Carolina, to lesser-known Buncombe County rely on hospitality and tourism. And workers rely on those jobs to survive. The Southern Smoke Foundation is a nonprofit run by current and former food and beverage workers. It provides immediate and long-term support to necessary but vulnerable hospitality workers, including those in North Carolina.
I like many things about Southern Smoke. It gives out cash when people need it the most. Its application for the emergency grants is straightforward. There are no fancy hoops or major delays. (Charity Navigator gives Southern Smoke a 98 percent rating, based on its accountability and finance, leadership and culture.)
Southern Smoke also provides mental health services to food and beverage workers. Under the best of circumstances, their work is hard and health care benefits are a luxury. After a crisis like Helene, mental health support can make the difference between falling through the cracks and rebounding.
Natural disasters leave a lot of destruction. They also create opportunities for the best of humanity to express itself. A gift to Southern Smoke would support one of many organizations that embody the best form of community.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times, c.2024.
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