The goal of Pisgah Legal Services has always been to provide free aid to the most vulnerable in Western North Carolina. Following Tropical Storm Helene, the nonprofit has channeled its efforts toward helping people find government assistance.
On Oct. 7, the nonprofit hosted free clinics, no appointments required, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. to assist the still healing WNC community in applying for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Clinics were held at both Pisgah Legal's Asheville location at 62 Charlotte St. and Hendersonville location at 440 S. Church St.
Pisgah Legal Executive Director Jaclyn Kiger told the Citizen Times that the FEMA assistance clinic is the first of multiple events the nonprofit has planned.
"We are part of this community," Kiger said. "Our staff have been impacted. And we wanted to do something to really just help people who are looking for support, to be responsive to the community needs."
No further clinics are confirmed as of Oct. 7, but Kiger said more are in the works, including a Facebook Live event. Kiger added that several items have already emerged as priorities for WNC residents.
"The questions really are about FEMA assistance, emergency financial assistance, housing rights - particularly tenant rights - and disaster-related unemployment insurance. Those are kind of the three big categories of questions that are coming in."
Residents seated in the clinic's outdoor waiting area told stories of what Helene had taken from them and their community. One woman, accompanied by a community mental health worker, said she was forced to dispose of all of her clothes after accidentally washing them in contaminated water. According to another clinic attendee, two people in their apartment complex died, one of them a foster child who was swept away by a mudslide.
Rou Cooper's riverfront property in Madison County was damaged less than neighboring properties, including a next-door neighbor's house that had "completely floated away" during the flood. Still, assistance was needed. River frontage was entirely swept away from Cooper's home, another neighbor was caught looting their property, and Cooper described the general state of the area as "utter devastation."
However, when Cooper began the process of applying for FEMA assistance, the task proved daunting.
"I started the application and even hit the submit button and as soon as I did, I regretted it, because I thought that I probably did it wrong," Cooper said. "I kept hearing that people were getting denied when they shouldn't have."
Upon reaching the next step of the multi-step FEMA assistance application process, Cooper decided instead to turn to Pisgah Legal for help.
"I just don't know how to answer the questions in a way that's going to promote getting funds that we should all be getting out here."
Apart from the clinic itself, Pisgah Legal's dedicated clinic webpage listed the information needed to apply, as well as a list of tips on how to avoid delays and get assistance such as Displacement/Critical Needs Assistance of $750.
By 3 p.m., over 100 people had received help, and there will be more help given in the days ahead, Kiger said.
"We'll be doing everything we can to support the community, and we will be here for the long run," Kiger said.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Clinic helps WNC Helene victims receive maximum FEMA assistance: Pisgah Legal plans more
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