❤️ Hope within Helene

I’ll be honest with you, Positive DONUT fam: it was difficult for me to sit down and write a good-newsletter this week knowing that so many Americans are struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

As I browsed through the headlines of all the devastation, however, I couldn't help but notice one theme that still rang true through it all: the hope and perserverance of people just like us. Rather than spotlight just one story this week, I thought I would share a few stories of hope found within the aftermath of the storm.

To start, the icon and beloved country superstar Dolly Parton announced two massive donations to relief efforts. The Tennessee native committed $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation, which is providing immediate relief to those affected by Helene. She also shared that her Tennessee businesses (Dollywood Parks & Resorts, Dolly Parton's Stampede, and Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show) and the Dollywood Foundation are working together to match her donation and give an additional $1 million.

• “I just want you to know that I am totally with you because I am part of you. I love you,” Dolly told a crowd of over 250 community members. “I look around and I think, these are my mountains, these are my valleys, these are my rivers flowing like a stream. These are my people. These mountain-colored rainbows, these are my people, and this is my home.”

Up next comes the story of James Waters, a Red Hill, North Carolina, resident who watched his farm get swept away in a mudslide. James has been blown away by his community’s effort to help restore the small town and locate missing people in the storm's aftermath. From using his generator to restore power to the town store to teaching his children the importance of looking out for your neighbors, James is grateful for his tight-knit community’s resilience. “We’re going to check on the neighbors,” he shared from a conversation with his son. “That’s what we do."

Lastly, multiple sports teams and athletes have contributed to relief efforts, including NC State football player Davin Vann, who spearheaded a donation drive to help storm victims in North Carolina. The owners of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers – David Tepper, and his wife Nicole – have committed $3 million to relief efforts through their foundation. Multiple sports arenas and facilities have also been used as makeshift shelters and donation locations.

All that to say, there is always a chance to find hope in a heartbreaking situation. While it will be a long road to recovery, every person willing to help is taking one baby step forward.

To find a Hurricane Helene relief initiative worth donating to, check out the link here.