After Hurricane Helene, I was in survival mode. Everything was moving fast and slow at the same time. Our home had flooded, a tree fell and blocked us in, and when the power came back on, we had a house fire. It was the trifecta, and I felt frozen.
The first place I felt safe enough to exhale was the Resource Center at Campaign for Southern Equality. Walking through those doors, I felt warm for the first time in weeks. I was offered a mini-grant to help replace what my partner and I lost, but honestly, the most important part was being hugged, asked what I needed, and surrounded by LGBTQIA2S+ folks who cared. That day something shifted. I came in to receive care, but I also realized I wanted to be part of offering it.
“Getting to take part in CSE‘s Resource Days has been the highlight of my year. With over 19 years in this community, I have never been prouder or more humbled to see folks come together and truly care for each other. Resource days are the epitome of Southern Queerness: Intergenerational community, love, and really good food.” – Crain, Hairstylist
Since then, I’ve been at every Resource Center. At first they happened weekly after the hurricane, and now they’ve grown into monthly gatherings. Over time I went from being a guest, to greeting people at the door, to helping run the whole day as Campaign for Southern Equality’s Community Resource Manager. It’s become my favorite day of the month.
I get teary at almost every Resource Center, not out of sadness but because of the sheer beauty of what happens in that room. Like the person who shyly came in for their very first gender-affirming haircut. They were nervous, not sure they were ready, and the stylist said, “We don’t have to do anything today, we can just talk.” By the end of the day they were crying tears of joy, saying how beautiful they felt.
Or one of the sweet folks who I call one of our “unofficial ambassadors.” They sit at the art table, and whenever someone new shows up feeling shy or awkward, I bring them over. Our unofficial ambassadors show them pictures of their cat or chats about something quirky and wonderful, and suddenly the person feels like they belong. I’ve watched people who once described themselves as isolated come back every single month just to see their new friends.
“This past year I have often felt low on my resilience. In fact, my resilience tank was empty before the last Resilience day, but being with the community really made a huge difference. I’m very grateful to our community and to CSE. I hope by volunteering, I am able to give back a little of what so many at CSE give so generously to me when I come.” – Gabe, Volunteer Greeter
There was a guest in their early 20s who came with a parent. They had been struggling with isolation for the last year. That day they got a tarot reading, played D&D for the first time, and sat laughing with new friends for hours. It was their very first taste of real community.
And then there are all the ways people are cared for in body as well as spirit by other members of LGBTQIA2S+ community. J Chong cooks food that is always out of this world, ribs or tacos or something new, but always filled with love. Travis, our massage therapist, gives people a safe place to let go of stress they’ve carried in their bodies for too long. Our hairstylists Crain, Dru, Vanu, and Nur create affirming, skillful cuts that leave people glowing. People don’t just leave fed and cared for, they leave transformed.
“I went to one of the Southern Equality monthly meet-ups, and there was just such an accepting crowd, and there were so many people from the community. And it was so much fun. I really want to do it again.” – Olivia, Youth Community Member
With so many attacks on LGBTQIA2S+ people, especially trans folks, having a place where we can gather, feel safe, and be fully ourselves is life-saving. Some people only come out of their house one day a month, and this is that day. That’s why I take greeting people at the door so seriously. When someone walks in, they deserve to be welcomed with warmth, with hospitality, with family. Outside of these walls, that isn’t always what our community gets. But here we laugh, we cry, we giggle over art projects, we roll dice in a D&D campaign, we share meals, and we leave knowing we are not alone.
In just one year the Resource Center has grown from a response to disaster into a lifeline by and for the Western NC community. It’s a place where people find healing, joy, and belonging. Where our cups are filled so we can keep going in a world that so often tries to isolate us.
Every time I open the door and welcome someone in, I’m reminded that this is what we’re here for. To care for each other. To connect. To belong.
“I love the CSE Resource Center. It gives me a chance to see my community and get free resources and things I can’t afford normally like haircuts and beard trims from Nur. It helps me feel less alone.” – Roy/Rory, Community Member
Thank you so much for your support during the last year, and for being a part of this special moment. If you’re not too far from Asheville, please consider joining us at our next Resource & Resilience Centers on October 30th (Halloween edition!), November 20th, and December 18th.
Scroll through some wonderful photos from the last year below:
