When neighbors become leaders

When Hurricane Helene impacted Western North Carolina, something remarkable happened across Transylvania County: people stepped up. Neighbors checked on neighbors. Churches opened their doors. Businesses shared resources. Community members organized supplies, distributed information, and helped connect people to what they needed.

Over the past year, SparkPoint heard many of those stories through the Helene: One Year of Healing initiative. Through that process, our team connected with more than 125 individuals from every corner of the county, listening to residents, volunteers, business owners, educators, faith leaders, nonprofit staff, first responders, and community leaders.

As we listened, a pattern emerged. Again and again, people spoke about individuals they trusted: people who shared information, connected resources, answered questions, calmed fears, and helped neighbors navigate uncertainty. Long before any formal response system could reach every corner of the county, these trusted community members were already serving as informal connectors.

That realization became the foundation for the Community Connectors initiative. On May 26, SparkPoint, in partnership with the American Red Cross and FWRD Transylvania County, hosted the first Community Connectors gathering. More than 50 invited individuals representing different communities, organizations, geographic areas, and networks throughout the county showed up with purpose and heart.

The purpose of the gathering was not to launch a finished program or present a predetermined plan; it was to listen. Through facilitated listening circles and small-group conversations, participants shared what helped during and after the storm, where challenges existed, and how trusted people, relationships, and local networks became some of the community's most valuable resources.

Community-led work takes time. It requires listening before planning, relationship-building before structure, and trust before action. While many programs begin with a solution, Community Connectors begins with a conversation.

Over the coming months, SparkPoint and partners will review the themes that emerged from the listening circles and work alongside participants to identify natural next steps. The long-term vision is to support local Community Connectors, establish Connection Points throughout the county, and strengthen communication and relationships across communities.

Rather than building a new system from scratch, the initiative seeks to strengthen and connect the trusted people and relationships that already exist throughout Transylvania County.