We’ve all been shocked at the gut-wrenching images of Asheville following Hurricane Helene. Along with the devastation, the reality of personal and financial loss cannot be overstated.
My nephew and his fiancé who live in Asheville have shared many stories of neighbors helping neighbors but also of the lack of the most basic necessities that contribute to the daily hardships.
If you've been lucky enough to have visited Asheville you know the magic of the city includes a vibrant restaurant scene that rivals any in the country. But right now, many of these restaurants are dark, waiting for the city's water to be restored to them. That time is measured in weeks, not days.
Until then, some of Asheville’s top restaurants from the Scheffer Group—Vinnie’s, Asheville’s #1 Italian restaurant and Jettie Rae’s Oyster House, the best seafood in Asheville according to TripAdvisor—remain closed along with Gan Shan Asheville and the Original Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian restaurants.
Sadly, this means that most of the wait staff, bartenders, hosts, line cooks, dishwashers, and prep cooks for these restaurants have lost their jobs and their income.
You may have felt as hopeless as I do, unable to directly help residents of Asheville. If you do, I hope you’ll donate to this site to offer some basic assistance at a time that these employees need it the most.
Your gift won’t fix everything but your generosity could give them some breathing room to tide them over as the Scheffer Group works to reopen the restaurants. Note, while not tax-deductible, all funds collected will go to employees who are out-of-work, not to the corporate Scheffer Group. Thank you.
