She started a nonprofit during COVID. ‘Helene was another level of heartache.’
.JPG "Yolanda Adams, co-founder of Q’Pasa Appalachia, listens to Zenaida Hernandez as they discuss plans to remodel Hernandez’s mobile, which was damaged by flood waters from Helene.")
Since arriving in Boone, North Carolina, 22 years ago, Yolanda Adams has embedded herself in the community, particularly to support the Latino population through Q’Pasa Appalachia, an organization she co-founded in 2020.
The name means “What’s Happening Appalachia,” and the organization began as a pandemic information hub, said Adams, who is from Bogotá, Colombia.
So when Helene struck the area in late September, Adams got to work. Going around to the homes of Latinos in Watauga, Avery and Ashe counties to assess the damage, what she saw was “the community absolutely destroyed.”
“I thought COVID was hard,” said Adams. “Helene was another level of heartache.”
She quickly organized relief efforts and partnered with other aid organizations. This included the nonprofit organization Wine to Water, with whom she had previously worked. Together, they provided water, food and supplies for the Latino community. Wine to Water also brought tiny homes from the Amish in Ohio to the area and supplied RVs, giving displaced Latino families temporary housing while they figured out their next steps.
Q’Pasa’s aid efforts also included raising about $12,500 through donations, alongside support from the Immigrant Connection of the High Country, to help families with essential needs like repair supplies and deposits for new housing. Much of these funds went to undocumented families, who don’t qualify for most federal, state or local aid, Adams said.
Through Q’Pasa’s social media, Adams also gathered donations for essential items lost in the storm and shared job opportunities, resources and community events. For many Latinos facing isolation, language barriers and distrust of federal agencies, Q’Pasa remains a vital support hub. This role has become even more crucial as many families have started to face FEMA denials, which they are hesitant to appeal, especially if they have undocumented family members, she said.
Most recently, Q’Pasa raised around $50,000 to provide Christmas gifts for 50 families, many of whom had been displaced or had lost nearly everything.
These largely Latino families were paired with sponsors, including the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, which sponsored 11 families, and the North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh, which sponsored 25 families.
The gifts provided ranged from dollhouses and bicycles for children to gift cards for essentials at Walmart and Lowe’s.
Helping these families “has been absolutely amazing,” Adams said, adding that they’ve been incredibly grateful, especially since many thought they wouldn’t be able to provide Christmas for their kids.
More than two months after the storm, Adams’ work continues at full pace as she prepares for the year ahead.
“Every time I wake up, there is a bigger need, and a bigger need. And a bigger need,” she said.
