I served as a Governors Page from July 15-18, meeting with multiple state departments and hearing from an NC judge. In addition, I worked on a policy proposal focusing on the NC Department of Public Safety.

Hurricane Helene Relief: Fundraising for Essential Supplies This initiative began as an effort to raise funds for period products in North Carolina, but after witnessing the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, especially in my hometown of Asheville, I decided to shift my focus. My goal is now to provide essential feminine hygiene products, first aid kits, and other necessities to those directly impacted by the storm’s flooding. Here’s the plan: 1. Create a GoFundMe and Online Posters – I will design and launch a GoFundMe campaign alongside digital posters to spread awareness. 2. Social Media Campaign – I’ll share the campaign on my platforms and get my friends involved by encouraging them to repost and spread the word. 3. Partnerships – I’m partnering with a Western North Carolina donation event in Durham to assist with the transportation of items. I’ll also publicize this event for additional support. 4. Direct Aid – I plan to personally bring supplies to Asheville. Those affected will either pick them up or I’ll distribute them directly. 5. Partnership with Event at NCSSM – The collection and donation drive will be held at my school, NCSSM, and we will help pack both the items I fundraised for and other donations onto the WNC Flood Relief truck bound for the affected areas. Timeline & Goals: - My goal is to raise $200–$300. - The fundraising will take place from mid-October to early November. I aim to have the project completed by the end of October 2024, ensuring the supplies reach those in need as quickly as possible. All money raised will go toward purchasing and distributing essential supplies through the NCSSM Lees 24-Hour Towing Durham WNC Truck event and directly in Asheville.

Publicity Plan: To promote the event and maximize donations, I will launch a GoFundMe campaign and share it across multiple platforms. I’ll create a series of engaging Instagram and Facebook posts that highlight the importance of the initiative, the items we’re collecting, and the impact it will have on those affected by Hurricane Helene. In addition to spreading the word about my own fundraising efforts, I will also raise awareness for the donation event I’m partnering with. To expand my reach, I’ll encourage my friends, classmates, and community members to repost the campaign on their own social media pages. This way, we can collectively raise visibility and inspire more people to contribute. I’ll also use in-person conversations to ensure that people know about the donation drive and its purpose.

Event Summary: On the day I distributed donations in Asheville, my family, friends, and I worked together to provide essential supplies, which I purchased through my fundraising efforts, to our community. We focused primarily on delivering food and water, as there was a critical shortage of potable water and non-perishable food following the devastating flooding. It was important to us to reach out to those in our immediate community who were struggling, ensuring they had what they needed during this difficult time. This was on October 1st before I went back to boarding school. For the NCSSM Lees 24-Hour Towing Durham WNC Truck event, which I participated in on October 12th, I had the support of several friends who volunteered to help with the distribution process. We organized my donations into labeled boxes, carefully sorting everything from feminine hygiene products to first aid kits and other items, making sure they were properly packaged for transport. These donations were being sent directly to Western North Carolina, so we wanted to make sure everything was neatly organized and ready for distribution once it reached the affected areas. In addition to handling our own contributions, we assisted with accepting donations from cars driving by. We greeted donors, collected their items, and packaged them up. It was a collaborative effort, and having my friends there to help—especially those who are also from WNC—made the experience even more meaningful. Not only were we able to give back to our own communities, but we also felt the collective impact of working together for a cause bigger than ourselves.

I was able to effectively help my target group by distributing donations that I fundraised for directly to people in my hometown of Asheville, who were experiencing the worst effects of Hurricane Helene. In addition, I successfully expanded my reach by partnering with the NCSSM Lees 24-Hour Towing Durham WNC Truck packing event, which allowed me to get donations to other communities in Western North Carolina. I can see the impact of my efforts in several ways. For example, in Asheville, the people I gave food to had run out of supplies and were forced to eat expired food due to the power outages, which made them sick. The water I provided was also critical, as most of Asheville still doesn’t have access to potable water. At the NCSSM Lees 24-Hour Towing Durham WNC Truck event, my friends and I helped fill an entire truck with both the donations I fundraised for and those we helped collect from the NCSSM and Durham Community with other people at the event. I trust that the event organizers will ensure these items reach those in need and provide life-saving supplies. While this project initially began as a way to provide feminine hygiene products to people in Durham, I’m glad I pivoted to help those affected by Hurricane Helene. We were able to distribute not only hygiene products but also medicine, first aid kits, food, and more. It meant a lot to me to directly support my hometown of Asheville, and to extend that support to other communities in WNC through the donation drive at NCSSM. In total, I surpassed my fundraising goal of $200–$300 and raised $325. I also contributed some of my own money to purchase additional food and water for distribution in Asheville. I’m grateful for the support I received and proud of the progress we made in helping those in need.