Rabbi Robin Damsky, a member of the North Carolina Jewish Clergy Association, joined NECHAMA on a recent volunteer trip in Asheville, NC, working alongside our Jewish Education and Engagement Lead, Rabbi Scott Klein, to help restore homes affected by Hurricane Helene. Her hands-on work embodies the spirit of our “Build NECHAMA’s Future” campaign, which aims to strengthen our capacity to respond to disasters and support communities in need.
We’re sharing her reflection from that day to illustrate the real impact of this work and the difference every contribution can make. We encourage you to read on!
On August 10, I had the opportunity to volunteer with NECHAMA doing disaster relief in Asheville, NC. The date is important because the support we provided was for Hurricane Helene, which took place eleven months prior. I don’t know that we necessarily understand the power and severity of the destruction of these kinds of weather events. And more and more, with restrictions to FEMA and other kinds of aid, so many are struggling to get their lives back on track. This begins with making sure their homes are livable.
A group of clergy and their family members came together to restore the basement of what was once a beautiful Asheville home. All of the walls needed to come down and be replaced. It was a huge job which was already well on its way when we came to volunteer. Our job was first to sand seams on sheetrock and then apply new mudding. The NECHAMA staff members were extremely gracious in teaching us and helping us polish our new skills as we worked to restore beauty and function to this home.
The bonus of my day was getting to meet the woman of the house, who had been living there for over thirty-five years. She was kind and warm. We had lots to talk about as we both grow food. Before she had come outside I had already walked out to peruse her large, fenced in garden. When she emerged, with her wheelbarrow in hand, we had a lengthy conversation about her home, her family, her roots, and her love of growing her own food. She picked some fruits and put them out for us to snack on. She couldn’t express enough how much our time volunteering there had meant to her.
It was a gift to be able to help restore a home for a family. That gift was doubled and tripled by actually meeting the residents – we met another family member as well – who shared the story of how their house flooded almost in an instant when the power went, and how they lived cooking food on a camping stove in their garage for three weeks until their power was restored.
This day in Asheville was my second time volunteering with NECHAMA. The first was in Houston after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. I felt privileged to serve. I was blessed then as well to meet some of the individuals whose homes we were restoring. On that trip we worked on three different homes and I met two of the families.
One hopes that the need for the kind of disaster relief services that NECHAMA provides will never be necessary. And yet, the need for their care and support is in more critical need than ever before. With the growing number and severity of climate disasters, they will be in even higher demand. To see what they accomplish with a very small staff is truly inspiring.
Rabbi Tarfon taught us in Pirkei Avot, “The day is long and the work is extensive.” He might easily have been speaking about disaster relief. Your help is essential. So make a donation. Organize a volunteer trip. Show up for a day, several, or a week. Anything you can offer makes a difference in people’s lives. And you get to walk away knowing that you have deeply touched people’s lives in your work for good.
– Rabbi Robin Damsky
Limitless Judaism | @limitlessjudaism
Rabbi Robin’s reflection illustrates how skilled, steady hands rebuild more than structures. Each act of service strengthens NECHAMA’s capacity to meet the growing demands of disaster recovery. A contribution to NECHAMA builds that future, expanding the reach of work that restores homes, dignity, and stability where it is needed most.