The aftermath of Hurricane Helene continues to impact Western North Carolina communities, from displaced families to infrastructure damage. As schools reopened their doors in late October, the United Way of Asheville-Buncombe County's (UWABC) Community Schools strategy has emerged as a crucial framework for supporting students, families, and educators through this challenging period.
The devastating effects of Helene—including prolonged power outages, water shortages, and tragic losses of life—have created new challenges for returning students and staff. However, UWABC's network of nine Community Schools, each led by a dedicated coordinator, has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability in meeting these unprecedented needs.
The work of our community school coordinators didn't skip a beat; it simply adapted, transformed, and grew stronger to meet the moment. These schools serve dual roles as both educational centers and community support hubs, proving especially valuable during emergency response and recovery efforts.
The impact is visible across multiple campuses. Owen Middle School, which initially served as a hub for utility workers, hosted a community day where families could gather, play, and access essential supplies. Reynolds Middle School welcomed back its community with an open house, building upon the connections strengthened during the crisis. At Erwin Middle, sections of the school-based health trailer were transformed into a resource room providing food, clean water, and clothing to area families. Community School Coordinator, Emily, also helped to organize Highland K9 who brought 10 service dogs for student and staff mental health.
North Buncombe Middle School quickly established itself as a crucial resource hub, implementing innovative solutions to reach all community members. The school organized bus transportation for families in trailer parks and offered specialized Latin food bags to support Hispanic families, when the hosted their very first Community Night since Helene. They've also repurposed home economics classrooms as extensions of their Community School Resource Room,m, offering food and clothing to families.
At Hall Fletcher, Community School Coordinator Rachel Miller balanced helping UWABC establish a warehouse while setting up her resource room. The space, now fully stocked with donations from across the nation, serves both students and teachers seeking support and supplies.
These examples represent just five of the nine Community Schools, each contributing to the recovery effort in unique ways. The work continues every day in our Community Schools, with so much more to report on its way. The UWABC's community school strategy has proven particularly effective in maintaining student engagement and preventing academic setbacks during this period of disruption. By connecting outside resources, support groups, and volunteers directly with schools while strengthening bonds between teachers, staff, students, and their families, the Community Schools model has demonstrated its durability and value.
As Western North Carolina continues to rebuild, the Community schools strategy stands as a testament to the power of integrated support systems in our school systems in times of crisis.
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