A Evening in Big Ivy

 

We love a full-circle moment, when life leads you back to a place you've been before, but somehow everything and nothing has changed.

That's what it felt like returning to Big Ivy on Sept. 17, 2026, nearly two years after Hurricane Helene If you're not familiar, UWABC has spent a lot of time in Big Ivy since the storm. The destruction throughout the valley was fierce, and the community quickly became a place where UWABC partnered alongside neighbors, organizations, and local leaders as relief efforts grew into long-term recovery.

This time, though, we returned for a different reason.

We gathered with potential Alexis de Tocqueville Society members in the beautiful new space at Big Ivy Cattle Company. The barn, owned by longtime UWABC supporters who have invested in our work through philanthropy, advocacy and Community Schools, became the perfect setting for an evening centered on connection.

It was a chance to return to a place that has become part of UWABC's story, share a wholesome meal, and hear directly from the people leading our Youth Opportunity and Community Resilience work. New faces met some of the pillars of support in our UWABC network. We shared drinks, broke bread, and let conversations unfold as warmly as the sunset was that evening.

Alex Ramirez, UWABC's United for Youth Network Manager, spoke about our Youth Opportunity work through the lens of his own story. He shared what it felt like to be empowered as a young person and invited everyone in the room to imagine a world where every student feels like the coolest, most confident version of themselves. He explained how United for Youth brings that vision to life through strategic work groups, shared accountability and measurable data goals.

Then Gina Elrod spoke about our Community Resilience strategy; she took us back to the day Hurricane Helene changed everything. She was in Big Ivy when the storm hit and was suddenly thrust into a recovery leadership role. She recalled one of the first phone calls she received from UWABC in the days that followed: help was promised, and help was delivered. She reminded everyone that one of the homes they passed on the drive to the event exists because of UWABC's efforts and the extraordinary generosity of one of our supporters.

The evening brought supporters and new faces together in a place UWABC knows well, but in a new way. It's part of our ongoing work to grow our network so our strategies can reach even further. Even with our work spanning 9 Community Schools, dozens of nonprofit partners, businesses and local government, our community's biggest challenges still require all of us.

That's what made returning to Big Ivy feel like a full-circle moment. The place has changed. So have we. But what has remained the same is the power of people coming together, investing in one another, and proving that united is still the way forward.
 

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