Before Hurricane Helene, Elena Wheeler worked on the Community Engagement Crew, leading students in service work and organizing the College’s engagement in the wider community. As soon as she saw the extent of the storm damage, though, she knew that this time her help would be urgently needed here at Warren Wilson.
“My home is where people are who I care about. In that sense, I would say home is here,” she said.
As soon as she could safely leave her dorm room, Elena headed straight to Gladfelter Student Center to see how she could be of help. She immediately began work in the kitchen. The campus was completely cut off, so cafeteria staff had not been able to reach work because of downed trees, flooding, and landslides. If it hadn’t been for students like Elena, food would not have been prepared for the student body that first day.
“I think helping is a responsibility. I take it on myself to learn how I can help, not just be told how I can help. Though I also want to respect what people say, how they need help.”
In the following days, Elena gained wide experience on a variety of crews, pitching in wherever she was needed. She continued to help on Dining Crew but also joined shifts with Landscaping Crew clearing downed trees and brush, Transportation Crew driving students to the airport, and Facilities Crew repairing damaged buildings and restoring campus infrastructure. She also helped in ways not associated with specific crews, such as hauling water, shuttling supplies, and helping community organization efforts.
“If I can help and stay, I love it. So why wouldn’t I? I don’t have a desire to be in a place where I can shower, when I can be here,” she said. “I’m so blessed that I can be here to be able to help, because there’s always situations like this, and I can’t be in a lot of them. Why would I leave a situation where I could work, can help?”
Once campus was a stable homebase, Elena was able to resume her Community Engagement Crew work, too. She and a few faculty members set up regular volunteer service trips to Hearts With Hands, a disaster relief nonprofit just a mile down the road. Every morning at 5:00 a.m., Elena drives a van full of students, staff, and faculty for the early morning shift serving the Swannanoa community, which was devastated by catastrophic flooding. And after that, she’s back to campus for a full day of work.
“I love the people here. Yes, there’s the Work Program. Yes, there’s volunteering. There’s academics. There’s this campus, and that’s so beautiful. And yet, the people are what make it run, what calls my heart. […] I came here because I got the sense that this was a really beautiful community,” she said.
“There’s good people, and that’s important to me: to see the good in people. And that is what we’re seeing right now. It’s been amazing to see what comes out of people in this situation and how beautiful they can be in relationship, helping and supporting, trusting,” she said. “It inspires me, just how strong people are. It humbles me, just how little I know.”
