Dear Friends,
We wanted to say a heartfelt "Thank you."
Thank you to so many clients, attorneys from other firms, and friends in the community who know we have a significant office presence in Asheville and have asked how everyone is doing daily. We appreciate how everyone has been so giving, helpful, and focused on recovery for victims of this Hurricane.
Many friends have asked about reputable organizations supporting the recovery efforts in WNC. Our Asheville team specifically recommended a few relief organizations, including Manna FoodBank, BeLoved Asheville, and the Community Foundation of WNC. For a broader list of organizations helping those in need, click here. We're so thankful for the support of our friends near and far in this time of crisis.
Thank you to our Asheville-based heroes. We are so thankful that all of our attorneys and staff made it through this storm. We commend the heroism and servant leadership we see from our Asheville team members for their strength, bravery, and commitment to their community during this time. Several Asheville employees ventured out in dangerous conditions to locate our team members, whom we could not reach, to ensure their safety.
Our team members who have power and water have graciously offered to house colleagues, friends, and neighbors; they've served water and food to the community; they've welcomed whole families into their homes for showers and warm food; they've ventured out to find internet service so they can communicate with others about where water, gas, and other supplies are located; they are going to government briefings and writing articles from their iPhones so information gets out quickly to people who need it; and they are continuing to do whatever is necessary to serve their community.
It is nothing short of amazing to see their strength, leadership, and kindness on full display, especially during this devastating time.
Thank you to our team members throughout the firm. While most of us cannot yet be 'boots on the ground' to help our Asheville employees, clients, and friends, Ward and Smith team members have risen to the challenge of being there in every other way possible.
Employees have opened their homes to colleagues displaced by the damage; individuals in all of our offices have organized and spearheaded donation drives; employees across the firm have sent load after load of supplies, food, water, etc., to support these donation drives; individuals have contributed to outside organizations to support our WNC communities; our practice groups (including, without limitation, our Government Relations Practice Group and Insurance Counseling and Recovery Team) have used their expertise and connections to help from afar, including lobbying state and federal elected officials to dispatch military, more emergency personnel, and ample food/water/fuel to the region.
This collective effort is a testament to the unity and support within our firm. We are incredibly proud and thankful for each of you, knowing that we are part of a larger community that stands together in times of need.
Our Asheville office remains closed this week while our team continues to adjust to post-hurricane life. However, many of our team members are online at home or working from an alternate location, doing their best to help our clients from afar. And we expect to reopen the office for meetings with our clients next week with limited hours.
Our Asheville team members have a long road ahead in returning to their everyday pre-Helene life, and we intend to support them throughout their recovery. We will assist those affected by Hurricane Helene's destruction by paying for any employee's hurricane-related qualified expenses, such as insurance deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. We provided this same assistance when Hurricane Florence impacted our eastern NC offices and are proud to offer it to our team members at this time.
Our ability to make things a little easier for them in that process is the right thing to do, and we thank all of you for the outpouring of love and support you've shown. At times like this, North Carolinians have a long, proud tradition of pulling together for the common good. We are thankful to be part of such a strong and resilient community.
With appreciation,
and
Brad Evans and Devon Williams
Co-Managing Directors of Ward and Smith, P.A.
