Helping Asheville small businesses this holiday season

By Kelly Bowman and Martha Shade, CNN

Asheville, North Carolina (CNN) — If you’re going to do some online holiday shopping this year, consider spending your dollars with small businesses in Asheville, North Carolina, where you’ll be directly impacting a community still struggling from the effects of Hurricane Helene.

Almost every employer in Asheville was affected by the hurricane, whether their building was destroyed, their employees moved away, or they just didn’t have any water to do business.

Residents worry that if their small businesses don’t come back, predatory real estate investors could move in, filling Asheville with chain stores and restaurants, completely changing the character of the mountain town.

Asheville’s small businesses are counting on this holiday season to pay their employees and keep their businesses open for next year. Many are also donating a portion of proceeds to rebuilding efforts in their town.

So if you’d like to help some people who really need a boost this year – and get your holiday shopping completed with the click of a button – here are some Asheville businesses you can support this year:

East Fork Pottery

East Fork Pottery started when Alex Matisse, a potter who is the great-grandson of painter Henri Matisse, decided to transition from making large vessels he hand-threw himself, to starting a business producing a multitude of home items – at a much larger scale.

East Fork Pottery’s Asheville factory is a hybrid of art and industrial processes. “We’re proudly a factory but there’s so much hand-work,” says Matisse. “There’s craft in everything we do, there’s craft everywhere you look.”

The pottery is so collectible that some of the older products end up selling on ebay for hundreds more than the original price. East Fork devotees –known as “potheads” – even have instagram pages where they trade or sell pieces from earlier collections.

East Fork produces all their dinnerware, serveware, decorative pottery and candles in their Asheville factory. Besides their online business, they have brick-and-mortar stores in Asheville, Atlanta and Brooklyn. 5% of all sales over the holiday season go to Asheville relief efforts.

Botanical Bones

This season you can show love to the dogs in your life, while also helping a great cause!

Botanical Bones is a superfood brand for pets that was founded by Rachel Kruh Meyer after she adopted her anxious dog, Carnaby, from Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. Inspired to help Carnaby feel calm, Rachel started making plant-based dog treats – and Botanical Bones was born.

This holiday season, the company is giving back to the animal shelter where it all began. “When I saw Brother Wolf lost its shelter in the floodwaters, I was just heartbroken because I know my business wouldn’t exist without them,” she says. Botanical Bones is donating a portion of their sales to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue to help their rebuilding efforts and support animals in need.

Soulku

Soulku, founded by Allison Blake and Elisa Van Arnam, is a jewelry brand created out of a desire to design meaningful jewelry while empowering women. The founders say they like to think of their company as, “a place where, guided by their souls’ calling, anything is possible.” The brand is pronounced “soul-coo,” and they create a variety of crystal-based jewelry including necklaces, bracelets and pet charms. Each piece comes with a card explaining the intention behind the design.

Soulku supports stay-at-home moms, who handcraft each piece, allowing them to earn a sustainable income from home. In Hurricane Helene’s aftermath, Soulku is giving back to the community through their “Asheville Strong” necklaces, with proceeds supporting local recovery efforts.

Sarilla

Sarilla is a sparkling drink brand founded by Sara Stender Delaney, who wanted to create a way for people to feel included in celebrations without alcohol.

Delaney previously lived in Rwanda while working with genocide survivors. After moving to Asheville, she partnered with tea farmers in Africa to import tea for her beverages. Delaney says, “it’s interesting to now be in a position where I’ve lived through a natural disaster and have friends in Rwanda reaching out to us. They’re seeing the images, they’re hearing the stories and they’re asking if there’s anything they can do to help. So, it does feel like a full-circle healing experience right now.”

Sarilla will be donating proceeds from one of its flavors to help a non-profit focused on rebuilding Asheville. You can find Sarilla’s drinks in stores nationwide and online.

Moonlight Makers

Moonlight Makers, a business known for its quirky, handcrafted, screen-printed goods, started as a dream between two friends, Claire Watston and Nicole Hairfield, who wanted to spread laughter and creativity.

Post-Hurricane Helene, the business owners are focusing on giving back. Watson says “we’re part of a local women’s entrepreneur group and we’ve gotten together with them to support each other and come up with different things we can do to help.”

Among their efforts, they’re screen-printing shirts for Summit Coffee located in the River Arts District, which was devastated by the hurricane. These shirts will be sold to help Summit rebuild its beloved coffee shop, providing a way for the community to show support and help local businesses bounce back.

Pirani Life

Pirani Life was started by a husband/wife team, Brandegee Pierce and Danielle Del Sordo, committed to reducing single-use waste. Pierce and Del Sordo say their insulated, reusable cups are designed to look like classic party cups but are built to last, making them perfect for sustainable celebrations. The couple says they are on a mission to eliminate single-use plastics, by creating cups that combine durability with style.

Although their facility was impacted by flood waters from Hurricane Helene, the business is up and running, and ready to ship for the holidays. They donate 1% of all sales to their non-profit partners.

Everyday Oil

Emma Allen was inspired to create high-quality, ethically sourced essential oils that could be used daily for wellness and relaxation – then she turned that inspiration into a business, Everyday Oil.

Hurricane Helene severely damaged the Everyday Oil facility just outside of Asheville, destroying thousands of dollars’ worth of product. This holiday season will be vitally important to keep their business going.

French Broad Chocolate

French Broad Chocolate began as a dream shared by founders Dan Rattigan and Jael Skeffington, who wanted to bring ethically sourced, artisanal chocolate to their community. From bean to bar, every product is crafted in Asheville.

As a certified B Corporation, French Broad Chocolate says they’re committed to sustainable practices and transparent sourcing. Known for their truffles, chocolate bars, and sipping chocolates, they were recently honored with a spot on Oprah’s 2024 Favorite Things list.

Hurricane Helene damaged their production facility, but this holiday season, your support can help them continue crafting their chocolate.

Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn

Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn, founded by Ginger Frank, began with a simple mission: to create handcrafted popcorn with love and local ingredients. Today, Poppy is giving back to their hometown by launching “Popcorn with a Purpose.”

Their Asheville Mix Artist Bag – a blend of White Cheddar and Salted Caramel – is supporting Asheville’s rebuilding efforts. For each bag sold online, $2 will go directly to help Western North Carolina’s small business community. Their goal is to raise $1 million to help local entrepreneurs get back on their feet.

Legally Addictive

Laura Shafferman turned her love for unique, indulgent treats into a business called Legally Addictive. Known for their signature “part cracker, all cookie” creations, Legally Addictive combines salty, sweet, and crunchy in every bite.

After suffering water damage from Hurricane Helene, the company is back up and running and paying it forward by supporting Asheville’s small business community this holiday season.

C&Co Handcrafted Skincare

C&Co. Handcrafted Skincare was founded by Christi Apodaca, a passionate advocate for natural skincare. Inspired by her background in chemistry, Apodaca says she launched C&Co. to craft pH-balanced products that work harmoniously with the body’s natural chemistry. pH-balanced skincare ensures products are neither too acidic nor too alkaline, helping to maintain the skin’s barrier, prevent irritation, and support overall skin health.

C&Co.’s commitment to community runs deep. After Hurricane Helene, the team came together to volunteer with cleanup efforts, dedicating the first two weeks post-storm to supporting those in need. Their handcrafted skincare products are available online.

Spicewalla

Spicewalla, founded by renowned chef Meherwan Irani, began with a vision to bring fresh, chef-quality spices into everyday kitchens. Spicewalla offers small-batch spices and signature blends, which they say are crafted to elevate home cooking with vibrant flavors. Recently impacted by Hurricane Helene, Spicewalla is focused on helping the Asheville community by supporting other small businesses in need this holiday season.

Provisions Mercantile

Finally, if you’d like to support several Asheville businesses all at once this year, consider a gift box from Provisions Mercantile.

The modern-day general store had two locations in town before Helene hit. Their shop in Biltmore Village was filled with nearly 15 feet of water and destroyed. They are rebuilding that location and hope to open by Spring 2025.

They’re offering nine different gift boxes this season, filled with a variety of products by Asheville makers. Prices start at $60, with a shipping deadline of December 15th. And if one of the nine gift boxes still isn’t your style, they’re happy to customize boxes for you.

Happy shopping!

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