I’ve been living in between two worlds of late. A few days after Tropical Storm Helene devastated our region, my 5-year-old daughter, Eula, registered a 103 fever. My wife, Tatiana, took her to the Charlotte area to make sure she had adequate medical support and running water. Eula’s doing much better now, but she and Tatiana are currently staying put in Mecklenburg County. I’ve been traveling back and forth between both locations.
During all this, Tatiana has been raising funds to help out local residents. Through family and friends, she’s gathered thousands of dollars. On both my visits to the Charlotte area, I’ve been loading up my vehicle and bringing back supplies.
Xpress sponsored my latest journey. On Oct. 4, Cindy Kunst, our distribution coordinator, cleared out the van and had it ready for me to roll. On Oct. 5, I spent all morning and most of the afternoon roaming the aisles of various boxed stores purchasing batteries, buckets, baby formula, hygiene products, tarps, disposable kitchenware — the list goes on.
I got back to Asheville on Oct. 6. I made my rounds to several distribution sites. Some were closed, others were no longer accepting donations. Ultimately, I found my way to the Pit of Despair (the vacant lot across from the street from Harrah’s Cherokee Center — Asheville). There, the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County cleared the van.
The vehicle is back with Cindy, who used it to delivery this week’s paper. I’m grateful to her and the entire Xpress management team for making this latest trip possible. I’m also so proud of and thankful for the Xpress team, who has banded together during this difficult time to keep folks up to date on our region’s recovery.
Finally, a big thanks to Tatiana for initiating the fundraiser, a huge shoutout to everyone who contributed and a big smile for Eula’s recovery.
Hang in there, everyone.
Editor’s note: This reflection first appeared in the Oct. 7 Xpress newsletter. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter at avl.mx/e7i.
Handing over the keys: Xpress sponsors supply run
I’ve been living in between two worlds of late. A few days after Tropical Storm Helene devastated our region, my 5-year-old daughter, Eula, registered a 103 fever. My wife, Tatiana, took her to the Charlotte area to make sure she had adequate medical support and running water. Eula’s doing much better now, but she and Tatiana are currently staying put in Mecklenburg County. I’ve been traveling back and forth between both locations.
During all this, Tatiana has been raising funds to help out local residents. Through family and friends, she’s gathered thousands of dollars. On both my visits to the Charlotte area, I’ve been loading up my vehicle and bringing back supplies.
Xpress sponsored my latest journey. On Oct. 4, Cindy Kunst, our distribution coordinator, cleared out the van and had it ready for me to roll. On Oct. 5, I spent all morning and most of the afternoon roaming the aisles of various boxed stores purchasing batteries, buckets, baby formula, hygiene products, tarps, disposable kitchenware — the list goes on.
I got back to Asheville on Oct. 6. I made my rounds to several distribution sites. Some were closed, others were no longer accepting donations. Ultimately, I found my way to the Pit of Despair (the vacant lot across from the street from Harrah’s Cherokee Center — Asheville). There, the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County cleared the van.
The vehicle is back with Cindy, who used it to delivery this week’s paper. I’m grateful to her and the entire Xpress management team for making this latest trip possible. I’m also so proud of and thankful for the Xpress team, who has banded together during this difficult time to keep folks up to date on our region’s recovery.
Finally, a big thanks to Tatiana for initiating the fundraiser, a huge shoutout to everyone who contributed and a big smile for Eula’s recovery.
Hang in there, everyone.
Editor’s note: This reflection first appeared in the Oct. 7 Xpress newsletter. Sign up to receive our daily newsletter at avl.mx/e7i.
Thanks for reading through to the end…
We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we’ve never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.
We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.
About Thomas Calder
View all posts by Thomas Calder
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.
You may also like
Commentary
The impossible bargain of feel-good politics
The case for open minds and innovation in education
Asheville residents deserve homes in resilient, sustainable neighborhoods