Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery for Hawthorn Montessori

On Friday, September 27, Hawthorn Montessori – and the church it is co-located within – were hit by Hurricane Helene. Buncombe County, where Hawthorn Montessori sits, has been devastated by this once in a lifetime natural disaster. Local authorities estimate that it will likely be six to eight weeks before they can restore running water to our school – preventing the school from providing safe conditions for children. The road to the home of one of Hawthorn’s teachers is impassable due to storm damage and she cannot leave. Many enrolled families have been forced to evacuate the area and others are unable to work and pay tuition. 

Hawthorn Montessori School is a longtime, community-rooted nonprofit preschool located near Asheville, North Carolina. Started by Katie Anderson six years ago, our school grew from a dream of creating an affordable, equitable Montessori early learning program "to nurture the light in every child and encourage it to shine.” Together, we have created a beloved program that welcomes all families by accepting childcare vouchers and providing tiered tuition rates. We have supported 81 local children over the past few years and have become a community institution relied on and trusted by local parents.

This disaster is the second major financial hit for Hawthorn in 2024, which was unexpectedly forced to move facilities earlier this year – leading to increased costs for renovations and relocation and a loss of some students. Coupled with the financial impact of Hurricane Helene – which will only partially be covered by unemployment and disaster relief efforts – Hawthorn Montessori must now raise a bridge fund to ensure our school can remain operational. 

While the school is closed, our teachers are volunteering in the community – spending everyday helping with storm damage cleanup, assisting small businesses and families, and driving and hiking to distribute aid to remote areas. Hawthorn has opened up its classrooms for local relief efforts, to store and distribute food, hygiene supplies and other aid to members of the communities. 

Today, we are asking friends, family and those from across the country who are looking for some tangible way to make a difference in this historic disaster to consider investing in the recovery of Hawthorn Montessori School and our support of our community.

All funds donated will be used to support school operations and financial recovery – ensuring that when safe water is restored, either through the county or by securing temporary, portable gray water processing equipment, we are prepared to immediately reopen our doors and provide early childhood education and care to local families who are eager to return to work. We are already receiving outreach from a rising number of families seeking preschool programs due to the long term closure of other local schools that sustained serious facilities damage.

With a lean nonprofit budget and a mission to serve and support every family, Hawthorn needs you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for considering a gift to help recover from the devastation and trauma of this storm and rise up stronger than ever with our community. 

With love and gratitude,

Katie, Dianna, and Lisa
Hawthorn Montessori School