Windhorse Zen Community

Asking for Help: Hurricane Helene Relief Fundraiser 

Dear Sangha and Friends, 

     Once again we’d like to extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of care and support we’ve received from so many in the wake of Hurricane Helene. What a time it has been! The storm hit us on the last day of our 5-day Zentensive retreat, with 16 people here from all kinds of places including Florida and Vermont and Newfoundland. In the days after the hurricane we managed to prepare meals without running water, work out our sanitation needs, and even pulled off a couple of candlelit, impromptu variety shows with offerings of music, poetry, storytelling, and ghost tales.

     Neighborly bodhisattvas generously offered us food, drinking water, and showers. We extended that help to others where we could, and managed to make contact via text with all our local members. Considering the devastation all around us, we are feeling profoundly fortunate.  

     We’re writing this letter to ask for your help in covering considerable storm-related expenses, and to help us become better prepared for future climate-based disruptions that may well hit our region. We’re looking into providing better safeguards for our dharma community by having alternative power sources available to more easily access well water and refrigeration. This could include solar power and a generator, as well as a new chainsaw, tractor equipment, and so on. Also, we were incredibly lucky that no buildings were damaged by any of the downed trees, and we are now realizing that one looming expense will involve hiring an arborist to take down some others that could fall on the lodge in a future storm.  

     Clearly, these types of expenses can add up quickly. So if you are willing to contribute to any of this, please click HERE — or just click the button on the top left of this page — and then click the “make a donation to Windhorse” option. In the drop down menu for donations, you’ll notice that a “Hurricane Relief” option is available.

     Of course, the sangha extends beyond Windhorse and through the larger regional community. There are many other worthy organizations you can donate to in the Asheville area that could also use your support. In the interest of keeping this relatively brief, we’ll end by inviting you, if you have suggestions or questions about any of this, please email us at windhorse@windhorsezen.org.

With deep gratitude,

All of us here at 580 Panther Branch Road