Pandemic of Love Asheville has served Asheville and Western North Carolina, since March 28, 2020. We are a chapter of the International Mutual Aid organization PandemicOfLove.com. The organization was founded on March 14, 2020, when a Florida mom saw her neighbors struggling in the early days of the Covid Pandemic. She set up a Google docs-based website where anyone in need could register for assistance, and those who were able could register to give help.
The website went viral. Quickly there were chapters around the US and then around the world. The entire organization is completely managed by volunteers. The Asheville chapter was founded by volunteers Lara Holloway and me. I saw a posting on Instagram by Debra Messing about the newly formed organization. I looked it up and registered to see if I could volunteer.
I was diagnosed with St4 Lymphoma and Thyroid cancer in 2015. I had been living in quarantine for 5 years and saw this as something I could do using my laptop and phone.
In Asheville and Western North Carolina more than 7000 people have been served with an average gift of approximately $135. We have paid utility bills, rent and mortgages, funeral expenses, phone bills, and have purchased groceries, diapers, clothing and so much more.
To register to offer help, go to PandemicOfLove.com. Once you have registered, a community volunteer will reach out to match you to someone in need.
We also welcome volunteers to help us in other ways, even if you only want to volunteer once! Every Saturday, we deliver produce to families registered with us. It takes about an hour
Through the holiays, we have been given space in the Grove Arcade to wrap gifts for donations. Those funds are already making a difference in the community! We paid for car insurance, a car, several tanks of gas for folks who needed help getting to work, and groceries for 2 families who recently experienced a loss in their families.
