Beauty in Resiliency

Hi all!

On Graveyard Fields
Loop Trail

It's about a year exactly since I've come to you with a new post, in a new state. Since then there’s been a lot of circumstances, both good and bad, that have colored my life. I've come to deeply understand every one of us walks through tough seasons, and the most beautiful part of our stories is how we overcome them. That seems to be the common thread through my trip so far in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina.     

 

 As a gal who lives for fall, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to visit a place known for its beautiful landscape and picturesque hiking in the peak of color-peeping season. I hopped in my car and made the seven hour drive south, ready for a refresh doing things I love. Traveling solo can sometimes feel a bit lonely, but there's also something freeing about it. And in the midst of a heated government shutdown and the general stresses of adulthood, I needed a break.  

    But I knew that I was headed to an area that knew all too well what it felt like to feel the weight of the world on its shoulders. Western North Carolina was one of many areas seriously impacted by Hurricane Helene, and I knew recovery efforts were still underway. I wasn't sure what I'd walk into, but it felt right to go support the town's recovery efforts, both by building and contributing through tourism, which has long been a backbone supporting Asheville's economy.

Hiking Black Balsam Knob

My first morning in town was a chilly 45 degrees and overcast, but one of the only dry days I could expect. I took full advantage of the day and took to the Blue Ridge Mountains, spending the day hiking to Black Balsam Knob and Tennent Mountain. I decided to end the afternoon checking out waterfalls through the Graveyard Fields Loop Trail. That's when things went a bit awry. The trail is supposedly a loop; however, I got lost at a split in the trail and hiked quite a bit north of the waterfall that was supposed to be at the furthest end of my trek. The trail itself is more heavily wooded and narrow to pass through, and it got increasingly harder to navigate the further north I went. 

It was getting on into the later afternoon and I was concerned about losing light, as it was already a gloomy day. I was also more concerned about being out there alone as it's known black bear country, and my path was starting to look extra bear-friendly the deeper I went. The trail is named for trees that have fallen over, and their roots lift up to look like tombstones throughout the area. Well, let's just say that I saw zero real bears, but probably 10 bear-like tombstones on my hike. Good grief! After an initial moment of anxiety I took a breath, and worked on making my way back until I ran into people again on the trail. I finally made it to the waterfall I was searching for. It was not nearly as majestic as I was hoping it would be given my effort to get there-but it felt good pushing through it and finishing it successfully. 

Blue Ridge Mountains

All that aside, it felt good to breathe in the clean mountain air and take in the vibrant red, orange, and yellow hues that were coloring the mountainside. Off in the distance the ridges turn a blue hue, especially when masked by fog and cloud cover, giving the mountains their namesake. There were several moments when I audibly gasped and couldn't help but thank God for painting the landscape this way. I suggest you come out yourself to see it in person if you ever get the chance to. It's glorious! 

After an adventure day, I got down to business volunteering. It was a real treat spending three days working alongside folks at the Asheville, NC chapter of Habitat for Humanity. This affiliate has been the backbone of the town and surrounding counties as they continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, which hit the area hard in late September 2024. Throughout my stay I’ve heard accounts of the storm from Casey and Peter, my dream team that let me tag along with them for the week, as well as other residents throughout town. As we drove through town to and from our job sites they pointed out areas that had been flooded just a year before. 

Prying trim off 

Off in the distance is a bridge over 20 feet above ground that water levels had risen to. On the right is a slew of businesses that were washed out and never recovered. Over here is a van that is still mostly submerged in mud, forever caked into place. 

The rainy weather we had this week has shown me how easily this area floods on a good day; I can’t imagine what these scenes would have looked like after the hurricane. I don’t think you can ever fathom something like it unless you lived through it. My heart has broken for these people as they’ve told me about living throught the storm. Like how they didn't have power for a month, leaving them with no way to connect with the world or find out what was happening. Or how they had struggled to find adequate food and water, and where still others had lost cars, had their homes threatened, or lost family members. There are some areas that are still severely damaged, with the landscape flooded out and bridges still left un-repaired due to a lack of resources. People couldn't evacuate the area because they had nowhere to go and roads were not usable. They told me at one point there wasn't even an open hotel room for them to stay in as far as West Virginia, in part because all of the aid workers were being housed there. 

Even now, in moments when life seems completely normal, echos of the storm remain. One day I asked the guys about recommendations for restaurants to try in the area for dinner, a simple enough question. One of them responded, “Well, all the ones I liked got washed out by the hurricane.” People use the hurricane as a timestamp to explain when they moved, when they started internships, or when other life decisions were made. This is a true look at how this storm impacted real people. 

Cutting trim board
-very slowly

It was inspiring to hear how Habitat for Humanity stepped up to provide aid for their community. The Asheville affiliate established a disaster relief program to assist families with rebuilding. Families qualifying for traditional home repairs through HFH are budgeted about $20,000 for necessary repairs. Those impacted by Hurricane Helene received an allotment of $50,000 per family. Traditionally home repair applicants put up a portion of the cost, based on their income level. Those impacted by Helene didn’t have to pay HFH a dime, a huge hand up in a stressful time. Asheville HFH has also collaborated with other organizations under ARCHR, the Asheville Regional Coalition For Home Repair, to provide further aid throughout the community, even spearheading a new software to organize how each organization under ARCHR would get work assignments so they can help more people. My initial plan was to assist with their disaster relief efforts, but they’ve gotten to a point where they are transitioning back to traditional home repairs.  All a sign that things are slowly getting back to a new normal. The area has been resilient and many places have reopened; a sign that healing happens in time. 

Supervisor Casey and I,
"Looking productive"

For our first two days of work I tagged along to help with final repairs for a family home about 15 minutes south of Downtown Asheville. We started with a trip to Home Depot to pick up a 2-in-1 washer/dryer unit, along with a few extra materials we’d need. Then we drove to the home and got to work in the small kitchen. First I tore off the old trim that surrounded a sliding glass door. Then I worked with Austin, a core volunteer who kept our spirits up as we laughed at his quips like, “Our goal is to be highly adequate” and “Lisa, are you good at destroying things?” (How’d he know, though??) He helped me use a miter box to cut 45 degree angles at the end of the trim so they’d fit together seamlessly around the doorframe. I used the brad nailer like a pro to nail it to the wall, with Austin telling the others something to the effect of, “She demands respect with that thing.” 

After the trim was replaced, I scraped off old paint that was peeling along the walls surrounding the doorframe so the wall would be smooth, and then learned to mud it. Then I caulked the seams and left it to dry so we could sand it and paint it all a crisp white the next day. As Casey, the site supervisor, taught me the technique to mud, he explained, “mudding is an art form. But some people just aren’t good at art!” We laughed at how something that seems so simple can be so difficult to do well. I told him I felt like Bob Ross trying to make "happy little trees"-he makes it look so easy! We laughed, it was a time.

Taping and mudding

We also worked to fit the washer/dryer unit in its nook. Unfortunately the floor was warped severely, so we needed to make a wooden platform to raise it and level the machine so it lined up better with the existing cabinets. For the rest of the day we worked on other odds and ends and wrapped up in the late afternoon. 

On day two, I had a new teammate named Clarky who joined in on the fun. Together we tackled sanding the mud I put down the day before, and giving the doorframe another coat of paint. We also helped Habitat staff build the small box platform to fit the washer/dryer unit on. I also installed a metal transition strip at the base of the sliding glass door. I had to use shims to fill in a large gap in the floor so it would be level, then had to drill into the linoleum before nailing it to the floor. The team also sanded and textured a spot on the ceiling, caulked kitchen backsplash, and hooked up the washer unit. A lot of little jobs that collectively took up the day for us. 

This site was the first interior home repair I had ever done, and it was a fun experience! I learned that, because existing homes are never perfect, it requires resourcefulness and critical thinking to make due with supplies we have to complete the job satisfactorily. I also felt a little added pressure to do things right because we were guests in someone’s home-the owners were in the back rooms of the house the whole time we worked. The Habitat staff told me they enjoyed these projects because it was always a new challenge, since no two homes are exactly alike and they require varying levels of repair.  Selfishly, this project was a nice one to jump in on because it was indoors. It was a downpour all of day one, and chilly on day two. I was thankful for the chance to stay dry. 

Sanding after mudding the wall

        Day three had us at another gentleman's home doing miscellaneous jobs to spruce the place up. I got to work with a gal named Brittany, a first time Habitat volunteer, which was so fun! Together we changed out a transition strip between the living room carpet and kitchen wood floors, and removed a broken door knob and replaced it with a brand new one. I learned how to carefully chisel out a part of the door so the core mechanism would fit flush in the door, allowing it to close. We also had to use a multi-tool to cut another hole in the doorjamb so the door would fully latch; originally the door didn't line up and wouldn't fully latch. Our team also helped fix the man's screen door soft-close mechanism, replaced a faucet in his bathroom, and replaced a screen in his bedroom window. Our leader showed Brittany and I how they replace screens, and how they use something called spline as a sort of seal that tightens the screen and keeps it in place in the frame. They even have a cool little tool that looks like a mini pizza cutter to press the spline into place. For the remainder of our day we cleaned out the work trucks and reorganized all of their tools, so teams can know they have everything they need to get the job done when they drive out to a site. 

Chiseling out the door

    A special thing about Brittany is that she had only one arm. I loved that this didn't stop her from wanting to volunteer and help people in the community. There were some things that were a bit of a challenge for her, like being able to line a nail up and hold it steady so she could nail it into the floor. But we fixed that real quick-I was able to hold nails for her, or start drilling a screw into a door, then could switch so she could finish the task. I debated on whether to include this description of her in this post, because having one arm or two doesn't have anything to do with who she is as a woman. But I thought it was important to add because she should inspire everyone to get out there and do your part to make a difference, no matter your ability. There is always room for you to get engaged and help others, and always people willing to help you if you need it. The HFH staff in particular have always been patient and kind with me, and we know how much they have to put up with my lack of grace and poise on and off the job site! I know you have something special to offer, and encourage you to find a cause you care about and figure out how to get involved. 

Replacing a screen window

    We also got to work with Dave, a core volunteer who has served for years with Habitat. We had a great time hearing about his past career working in the DC area (small world!) and how he and his wife volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, and Meals on Wheels in between traveling all over the world. We talked about how important it is for people to have purpose in life, and how that absolutely can be outside of what their vocation is. It was so nice meeting someone who shared the same feelings I did about volunteering; it meant more coming from someone who has lived more life than me and seen firsthand how people's lives can deteriorate if they stop seeking ways to stay connected and create impact in their communities. 

After the past few days, I've realized that we all go through tough seasons, some that are short, and some that leave lasting impacts. I'm blessed to have met some great people who are examples of resiliency in the aftermath of something truly tragic for their community. The storm may have been a defining moment in time, but it isn't becoming the sole identity of the people who call Asheville and the surrounding area home. They still have work to do, but they show up with a smile and a heart for service. They're showing others through their actions that there is always room for laughter, connection, and silver linings. 

Had a great time working with Peter and Casey!

Until Next Time, 

Lisa