Softer Streets

Softer Streets and our incredible partner Klymit, were able to get 200 tons of aid to victims of the Turkish-Syrian earthquake, by enlisting the help of Turkish Airlines and the Turkish U.S. Consul General. This is not possible without the help of our incredible donors. Thank you so much for your ongoing support.

https://softerstreets.org/donate/

Softer Streets’ volunteers, led by our indomitable Vice President, Nicole File are delivering outdoor sleep gear to Hurricane Helene survivors in nine counties in North Carolina, including remote parts of the state where aid dispatch has been scarce. Our partnership with Klymit has grown to include Gathr Outdoors, and with their help, we were able to get six truckloads (say it again, SIX) piled with sleeping bags, mats, hammocks, and blankets to those who are now facing an unthinkable new reality: homelessness. Many families have been forced by floodwaters into the deep woods, some are sleeping in make-shift shelters, on their friends' basement floors, or even in the cars they used to flee. We know many good people and agencies are doing what they can, but there are still needs that are not being fully met by existing federal disaster relief programs, including long-term sleeping supplies. Many victims cannot rebuild, and many have months before they can renter their homes, so temporary supplies must be durable, and these items must also be rated for lows in the 30s as they face a brutal winter ahead.

None of this would be possible without Nicole whose acts of great devotion in her beloved home of North Carolina are exemplary. Her tireless commitment to helping others is invaluable to our charity and the communities she serves.

Joint press release here:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gathr-outdoors-providing-critical-outdoor-gear-to-survivors-of-hurricane-helene-302278014.html

Softer Streets is delighted to announce the addition of Judi Moolten to our board as Community Outreach Director. Judi’s intricate knowledge of the geography and soul of Western North Carolina, combined with her experience healing communities after mass tragedies, make her an especially valuable gift as Softer Streets responds to the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

As a successful realtor running Grateful Mindset Properties in Hendersonville, North Carolina, Judi brings an intimate understanding of just about every neighborhood in Western NC and the diverse individuals who live there. Her weekly nationwide radio show is known for highlighting the region and its wonderful people, and Judi herself is known for her deep involvement in the community and cultures.

Previously, Judi was clinical director at a mental trauma training facility, helping First Responders, fellow mental health workers, and others process critical incident trauma. She treated and trained police officers, social workers, and more after major disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing.

In addition to providing critical logistics support and scrambling numbers of volunteers, Judi has already helped gather and distribute large numbers of lifesaving supplies from chainsaws to medical supplies and PPE to a truckload of new socks and underwear.

We look forward to sharing in Judi’s creative generosity and we know our clients will benefit deeply from her skills.

Thanks to your generosity, our inflatable mats (as well as sleeping bags, pillows and socks) have been distributed through AFAD, the Turkish equivalent of FEMA. We did this in tandem with Turkish Airlines, Klymit and the Turkish American Cultural Society of Colorado (TACSCO) We are so incredibly grateful for the support YOU all provided to make our biggest international distribution effort possible.