Answering the Call: How One Volunteer’s Journey Brought Her Home to Asheville

When Hurricane Helene brought devastation to Western North Carolina, Zholi was one of the thousands of volunteers across the nation that responded. Though living in Atlanta at the time, the pull of the mountain city she'd fallen in love with in her early twenties was strong. The distance felt insignificant compared to the need to help a place that had become to feel like home. Her journey to support Asheville's recovery began with a search for opportunities on Hands On Asheville/Buncombe.

"I looked up tons of spots to volunteer because I knew service was limited, and this was one of the ones that was the most easily accessible," shares Zholi. "And I hear that from a lot of volunteers. Like it's so user friendly, it's very easy to sign up and know what you're getting into."

Zholi helps a woman who is getting donations for 4 displaced families

The community's response to the disaster has been marked by an overwhelming desire to help, channeled effectively through organizations like United Way. "A lot of people just want to help and they need something to do," explains Zholi. "And United Way is offering a way for people to tangibly see the help that they're doing for the community and do it easily and sign up easily and leave feeling fulfilled."

What's particularly striking is the dedication of those who choose to help. Many volunteers, despite having other options for community service, consistently return to support Asheville's recovery efforts. United Way staff even heard of volunteers camping for two weeks to help Helene with relief activities. Many volunteers became familiar faces and worked expertly in the warehouse as we collected supplies from around the nation.

"One thing,” Zholi states, “I've loved hearing volunteers say that they have many other opportunities they could go to, to volunteer at, but they continue to come back here. It says something about the community and the environment we have here."

In the aftermath of Helene and the surprisingly beautiful moments during, we are reminded of the value of genuine human connection. Each holler and neighborhood have been working together to support each other and there are volunteers working thousands of collective hours. In these moments we are all brought together by our humanity. Zholi poignantly observed how in the warehouse the volunteer community would genuinely ask how they were doing not expecting a facade answer in reply. This kind of acceptance of each other as we genuinely show up is something that Zholi urged us to remember.

This spirit of authentic care and connection, combined with efficient organization and accessible volunteer opportunities, demonstrates how our community can work together and how UWABC leverages its community partnerships to connect organizations to volunteers who are passionate about their work too.

At United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, we believe in the power of connection. Stories like Zholi's remind us that volunteering isn't just about service—it's about building lasting bonds within our unique mountain community. Whether you're a longtime resident or feel called to Asheville as Zholi did, we're here to help you find your place in our community's tapestry of support.

Ready to make a difference? Visit Hands On Asheville/Buncombe
Want to support UWABC’s volunteer efforts? Donate Here
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