Active
Burners Responding to Hurricane Helene (Asheville, North Carolina):

UPDATED: 12/4/2024
We have been closely following Hurricane Helene since before it made landfall in Florida, and we are deeply saddened by the devastation it has caused, our hearts are with the people affected. The mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding areas appears to have borne the brunt of this powerful storm and the projects below are centered there.
Many of you may be wondering how to respond. We want to make sure you’re aware of active Burner-led projects currently underway. While we feel that familiar surge of energy to act, we encourage everyone to be thoughtful and strategic.
***If you are part of a response project aligned with local leadership for Hurricane Helene, please email us at bwb@burningman.org so we can support and connect you with others.***
BWB Partner Organizations:
1. Grassroots Aid Partnership (GAP) is a Burner led organization that is now serving hundreds of hot meals daily to the flood survivors in Asheville, NC. The disaster struck close to home as their headquarters is based in Asheville. Luckily their equipment was spared and the team was able to deploy immediately following the storm. They were serving food in Asheville on Haywood Road across from the fire department. Now they can be found at:
Rosetta’s Kitchen
68 N Lexington Ave Downtown AVL
Black Bear BBQ
800 Fairview Rd
And Swannanoa location
They are still in need of:
- Current Needs: (Updated 12/4/2024)
- A Forklift
- A spare pick-up truck to use- for towing (they are happy to pay for insurance)
- A chef who would like to stay for more than 1 week
- $$ Donations to support serving 1,000-2,000 meals per day until April
- People in and around Asheville to do food prep and volunteer.
2. Footprint Project is already on the ground mobilizing solar power for groups that would otherwise rely on generators. The are requesting the following support:
- (01/14/2025) If you or someone you know in the WNC region is in need of renewable energy resources, please spread the word and check out the link below for further details. Let’s work together to support the WNC community! Equipment Release Form: https://form.jotform.com/250077778545165
- UPDATE: Driver Found! Call for Volunteer- FLORIDA: Footprint Project has a 15’ box truck full of solar generators towing an 8’ solar trailer that needs to go from *Jacksonville, FL,* to Asheville, NC. Details:
- UPDATE: Driver Found! Call for Volunteer – NORTH CAROLINA: Footprint project is looking for a volunteer who can tow a truck of solar generators from Goldsboro, NC, to Asheville, NC.

Other Trusted Network Projects:
–Burner Disaster Response (BDR) was founded by Andy “Fixxer” Owens, the creator of Rootpile, a well loved Burning Man food and live music camp (Bluegrass anyone?). Drawing on over a decade of experience running Rootpile, Fixxer redirected its infrastructure and his skills to aid his Appalachian Mountain homeland during the disaster. While initially focused on Hurricane Helene recovery, BDR aims to expand into a broader disaster response organization, inspired by the impactful work of Burners Without Borders.
To Support BDR, please visit their gofundme page

— Big Puffy Yellow needs your HELP! Western North Carolina was tragically hit by Hurricane Helene last month and the devastation is unimaginable. We’ve created a long term GoFundMe campaign to help the burner communities most impacted by the storm.

You can donate and learn more by clicking this link:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/wnc-direct-hurricane-relief-with-big-puffy-yellow
Big Puffy Yellow began as a Burning Man Theme Camp in 2001, and has grown into a collective of burners, artists, DJs, and performers that are based out of Charlotte, North Carolina
UPDATE: DRIVER FOUND: CALL FOR VOLUNTEER (10/11/2024) Big Puffy Yellow needs a driver and a truck to pick up a trailer of (20) 275gal IBC in Trumbauersville PA (1 hour outside of Philadelphia) and deliver to Asheville. The water totes are available for pick up on Tuesday morning (10/15/2024) Your fuel would be reimbursed.

— Karine Maynard is a disaster relief veteran and trusted member of the BWB community. She and her husband Matt were part of the team that helped rebuild post Katrina. You can donate to her Venmo directly, she is also requesting items like cat or dog food, baby formula, wipes and diapers via Amazon, to get to North Carolina by the end of this week! (10/2/2024)
Ship to:
(Matt or) Karine Maynard
1986 Fox Creek Rd
Lawrenceburg, KY 40342
— The Tennessee Burners are actively working to connect with leaders from regional Burners Without Borders chapters, as well as other community leaders and Regional Contacts (RCs), to compile important disaster relief information and assess the needs of our community and build out projects. They have created a working group for this project, find them at: SE Burners Disaster Relief- BWB. They are currently (10/11) running a coat drive in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. They are also accepting Amazon deliveries.

—Operation We are Love (OWL), is based out of Asheville, NC, was founded by Burner Rhiannon Burk and the WNC Burner Community. Since Hurricane Helene, many have been stranded and without food, water, and vital resources, specifically related to being unhoused and / or under resourced in the cold weather. We formed, in response to this natural disaster, and we have been working out of our West Asheville mutual aid location, to get essential resources to our community via generous donations, of people like you. Find us on social media, identify ways to contribute, and check out the work we are doing: GoFundMe – https://gofund.me/56f63064
Facebook – Operation We are Love IG – operation_we_are_love
We are love, this is what we do.
Further Resources:
+ Stay Informed: For the latest updates on community efforts, project needs, or volunteer opportunities please continue to post in the BWB Volunteers Worldwide Facebook group and follow us on Instagram.
+ Additional Thoughts: In times of disaster, people often feel compelled to help. However, without a specific skillset in disaster response, well-meaning efforts can unintentionally add to the confusion or danger. It is crucial to be prepared and informed before entering a crisis zone.
Below are several historical resources and recommended readings that are useful for those feeling the pull of response:
- ‘After the Storm’ by Tom Price
- ‘The Long Disaster’ by Nick Farr
- BWB Hurricane Response Resource (Living Document)
If you’re interested in organizing a project in your area, we encourage you to connect with peers in the following networks.
- Burning Man Regional Communities: Connect with your local community to find out if any local initiatives are happening in your area. We’re also happy to introduce you directly to regional contacts if you are not yet acquainted.
- Find Your Nearest BWB Chapter
- BWB Volunteers Worldwide A group for connecting with volunteers globally via Facebook.
Burners Without Borders (BWB) emerged in response to the urgent need for action during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since then, BWB has evolved into a platform for civic leadership and community resilience, supporting a wide range of projects. We place great value on fostering community resilience initiatives and promoting “communities of practice” that help people navigate crises like the one we face now—and will undoubtedly face again. We are here to support Burners who lead disaster recovery efforts and amplify trusted organizations already engaged in this critical work.
