Helping Our Neighbors through Helene

It’s been a rough week for Appalachia and the South. A little over two years ago, our Letcher County community was devastated by a thousand-year flood. Now we are seeing that same devastation across multiple states, from Kentucky to Tennessee to North Carolina and beyond. News coverage of this incredibly widespread disaster has been frustratingly limited. Our staff are safe and our temporary offices are ok, but many folks across Helene’s path are still without power, phone, food, water, or access to medication.

If you are looking for ways to help, our pals over at Appalachian Voices (appvoices.org/helene-relief) have created a great resource page with shelters, organizations, requested donation items, etc. Please share widely.

A central way to donate is through the Helene Response Fund (bit.ly/appheleneresponsefund) hosted by the Appalachian Funders Network. Donations to this fund will be connected to local organizations and mutual aid funds on the ground in affected areas throughout Appalachia. 

We also know how overwhelming a natural disaster can be. Please hold space for any grief or anxiety. We are in this together, and stronger for it. If you need to talk with someone, consider the Disaster Distress Helpline (for emotional distress to a natural or human disaster): 

• Call 1-800-985-5990 
• Text "talkwithus" to 66746 
• Visit Samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline

Also, Monday, October 7, is the last day to register to vote in Kentucky! Visit the Commonwealth’s Voter Information Center to check your registration status. You can also visit Our People Our Vote to check that status, learn about processes such as how to vote by absentee ballot, find out where your polling location is, and more. 

For those of you with us in Letcher County, one thing on this fall’s ballot is “Constitutional Amendment 2.” This amendment would change the Kentucky Constitution to allow state lawmakers to use public tax dollars for non-public education. Under the law right now, money raised from taxes is only allowed to go to public schools (referred to as "common schools" in the Kentucky Constitution). This public money cannot go toward private schools. If this amendment is passed, Kentucky legislators would be allowed to direct tax dollars toward private schools. It is important to know that Letcher County does not have any private schools. If this amendment passes, public education funding will be siphoned away from our students.

As always, be sure to familiarize yourself with your entire ballot before stepping into that voting booth this November!