I've seen the strength and togetherness of our community in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Even after the devastation caused by Mother Nature, our neighbors in the Appalachian Highlands have shown they always stand by each other.

In the past few weeks, I’ve biked along the Virginia Creeper in Damascus, Virginia, and visited Elizabethton on my way to Roan Mountain. These places weren’t hit as hard as others, but they’ve given me a glimpse of what our friends here have been through. It makes me wish I could do more to help.

That opportunity came when, a friend of Anita Reeme reached out. She was helping Anita apply for Region A.H.E.A.D., a relief fund supported by local groups to help businesses in Northeast Tennessee get back on their feet. Anita's business, Doe Valley Printing, was completely destroyed by recent floods in Elizabethton, TN.

Anita is one of the vendors I work with at Volume Interactive. Originally from Alaska, she moved to Elizabethton 24 years ago. She has a disabled husband, and together they’ve raised their family and built a thriving screenprinting and embroidery business.

Anita is a hard worker who’s given back to many nonprofits over the years. The least I could do was help by meeting her, filming a video, and trying to tell her story. It’s tough to capture everything in just three minutes, but I hope this video helps her keep moving forward. I know she will—because, like so many in Elizabethton, that’s just how she’s built.

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