Hurricane Helene - UPDATE
We hope this message finds you well. We have received SO. MANY. messages from you, our wonderful Lo & Behold community, in the wake of Hurricane Helene and want to say THANK YOU; we cannot stress enough how uplifting and meaningful each and every message and act of support is to Brittany, Peter, our team, and those in Black Mountain.
The good news is our community is very resilient, neighbors are coming together to help neighbors, the power is back on in some areas including the studio/shop, and food and supplies are starting to arrive. Brittany and Peter are volunteering in the community where they can, cleaning up flood damage in the shop, and also getting settled into their new “glamping” lifestyle while utilities and roads are being repaired.
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WAYS TO SUPPORT
So many of you have asked how you can support us and our local community of Black Mountain, NC. While we are beginning to see the early stages of clean up, we are still in a “rescue” period where many people are still trapped in their homes and/or without basic needs: food, shelter, medical supplies and access to clean water. Black Mountain, Asheville, and surrounding towns remain without water and there is no timeline for restoration. Relief is needed in so many ways.
Here are a few ways we can come together and help:
Purchase a digital pattern from our shop between now and Oct.19th and 50% of your purchase will go directly to Hurricane Relief in our community.
Hurricane Helene Relief Donation: Purchase a Hurricane Helene Relief Donation from our shop and we'll donate 100% of the funds to local relief efforts. Brittany has been directly involved with a grassroots local volunteer medical clinic; we will make sure that this clinic has the medical supplies that they need through your donation.
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QUILT DRIVE UPDATE as of Oct. 18th, 2024, 6PM EST
Your generosity has been absolutely amazing! As of today we are on track to receive and distribute almost 3,000 quilts! Because of these donations we have been able to deliver them to local communities on a daily basis, quickly getting them in the hands of people who need them most. Know that you make a difference in the lives of so many!
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IMPORTANT: With the quilt donations that we know are still arriving over the next couple of weeks and with organizations starting to slow down their requests for bedding we ask that if you would still like to donate a quilt(s), PLEASE consider donating them in your local community. While we have experienced firsthand the immediate need for resources during a natural disaster, we also know that every day there are people in need in all of our communities across the country. Please check with your local food pantries, hospitals, and shelters to see where the greatest need is in your area. With winter around the corner this is a wonderful time to donate. ❤️
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If you would like to directly support a larger organization, we recommend the following organizations that we've seen actively serving our communities in so many ways.
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WNC Food Systems Coalition: Based in Western North Carolina, they are doing targeted distribution runs to low-income and elderly neighborhoods and for folks who do not have transportation. They are also cooking large meals weekly and starting to focus on small-farm support like hay deliveries for livestock and infrastructure rebuilds.
World Central Kitchen: We've always had a deep love for WCK, but receiving a plate from them in our community just hit differently. We are so grateful for this organization.
Operation Air Drop: One of the most immediate needs in our community was air support through planes & helicopters. Operation Air Drop helped with search & rescue efforts and dropping goods in areas that are unreachable by vehicle.
Samaritan's Purse: Based in Boone, North Carolina (western NC), Samaritan's Purse is on the ground providing food, water, and medical aid.
Baptists on Mission: Volunteers from all over North Carolina are providing food, water, and cleanup efforts to help rebuild western North Carolina.
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Convoy of Hope: Convoy of Hope is helping give access to clean water, hygiene supplies and ready-to-eat food.
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Direct Donation to Lo & Behold Stitchery: Many are asking how to make donations that directly support Lo & Behold Stitchery with clean up and operations while we get back on our feet. First, thank you so very much, it means more than you could possibly imagine. We ask that you please consider making a donation to help Western NC with one of the options above. If you would like to donate directly to Lo & Behold efforts as we recover from the flood at the studio and also continue operations and support our employees while we get things back up and running, you can donate directly here. Also, feel free to purchase a kit or two from our shop. We also have gift cards available here. From the very bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support in all ways and always. You are the absolute best community. ❤️
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SHIPPING & FULFILLMENT
Peter and Brittany have also been hard at work cleaning up the studio to get it operational. The building got several inches of flooding, but thankfully they were able to secure all of the open orders before the hurricane hit. If you are waiting on an order, rest assured it is safe and sound. Our post office in Black Mountain has reopened and we are hopeful that Peter and Michelle will be able to resume shipping orders next week. If you are waiting on an order please keep an eye on email, we will send you a notification as soon as it ships.
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FROM BRITTANY & PETER
Thank you for all of your kind messages and prayers. With power bank/ internet limitations and also staying busy with digging/ clearing roads/ volunteering where we can, we haven’t yet had the opportunity to respond to everyone. They are saying that our area saw a 1,000 year flood, meaning this kind of rainfall happens once every thousand years. We got around 30 inches of rain over a couple of days. We had multiple substantial landslides in our driveway, in our direct proximity around our home and on the way into town. We are still in shock and grateful to be alive. Many of our neighbors have lost their lives and/or have significant loss of property. Our hearts are so heavy with the amount of devastation in our community. We are committed to doing whatever we can to help our fellow neighbors and we appreciate your support in helping us do so. Know that we have been absolutely overwhelmed in the very best ways by all of your love and support, especially during such a scary and uncertain time for us. Thank you for loving us from afar. We feel it. ❤️
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