It has been five extremely difficult days here on the Penland campus, but we have seen over and over again how strong our community is, near and far. Thank you to all of you who have reached out with offers to help or just to tell us we, and the whole region, are in your thoughts. Though I may not have answered your messages, know that every single one has buoyed our hearts and spirits.

We are slowly checking in our staff and community. This has entailed hiking all over this mountain to lay eyes on people and ensure their safety. Several people have created lists posted on social media that you can check who has been marked safe. We are still trying to connect with Abby McKinney. If you have had contact with her, please reach out. We are worried about our friend. *Update, all of our staff has now checked in and is known to be safe!

Thanks to the heroic efforts by staff and friends to restore basic services to campus. The road up to campus has been cleared of the many big trees that had fallen across it and we have a way out. The road is damaged, so we need to limit traffic to essential travel. We are continuing to clear roads so that the staff, core fellows and residents who need to leave can. Our facilities crew performed a miracle and repaired our water system so we have access to clean water again. Our amazing neighbors, Rachel Meginnes and Jacob Houston hiked up to campus with their Starlink Cube which allowed the fifty or so people sheltering on campus a way to communicate with loved ones. We have now also become a hub for the community to come up to connect with the outside world. The volunteer fire department is working with an excavator on clearing the back gravel road leading out to Snowcreek Road. There are so many massive trees down that the task is slow moving and daunting but we are beyond grateful for their work every time we see someone from our community who has been trapped on that road wander up to campus.

There is significant damage of campus, but we are much better off than most around us. The devastation to our Spruce Pine, Bakersville, Celo, and Burnsville Communities is heartbreaking.

Many of you have reached out asking how you can help financially—

The best way to support Penland’s cleanup and repair efforts is by donating through our website. Your donations won’t just support the physical cleanup and repairs, but our commitment to pay our staff, including our artists scheduled to teach, through this period of closure and loss of income.

If you want to help our artist community, I suggest donating to CERFplus. They provide disaster recovery grants to artists which will be crucial in order to support and rebuild our vibrant maker community.

If you want to help our local community, our neighbor, potter Julie Wiggins has mobilized several rescue teams from FL who arrived Sunday. They will be staying on the Penland campus but will focus on the Ledger community just below campus. They are bringing gasoline, propane, camping stoves, water, food and other essentials. If you have the ability and live close, consider donating the above items to the center that has been created at the white house at the beginning of Penland Rd (close to 226 and the car wash).

These five days have been devastatingly heartbreaking but to witness the community come together— the kindness and compassion of friends and strangers has been one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life. We are resilient, creative people and our area will be rebuilt and back stronger than ever because we are fueled by love for each other and this place.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all!

-Mia Hall, Penland Director