Interview with Claire Siegel
Dublin Core
Title
Interview with Claire Siegel
Description
Claire Siegel was interviewed by Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections volunteer Kate Sepp on June 3, 2025. This interview took place over Zoom and was conducted as part of the Come Hell or High Water Oral History Project for Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Library.
Siegel describes deciding to evacuate Asheville for Richmond, VA in advance of Helene [00:03:22], working remotely to coordinate monetary donations and supplies via social media group The 828 Is Great [00:06:27], then returning to Asheville and setting up a mutual aid station in her friend’s Burton Street neighborhood [00:09:39]. Claire further explains how forming a WhatsApp group facilitated community organization and resource-sharing [00:12:18]. She discusses receiving FEMA aid and Disaster SNAP benefits, noting her privilege in accessing resources due to language, tech literacy, and having an intact home [00:28:12], and reflects on the disaster’s impact on community relationships [00:31:12].
Siegel describes deciding to evacuate Asheville for Richmond, VA in advance of Helene [00:03:22], working remotely to coordinate monetary donations and supplies via social media group The 828 Is Great [00:06:27], then returning to Asheville and setting up a mutual aid station in her friend’s Burton Street neighborhood [00:09:39]. Claire further explains how forming a WhatsApp group facilitated community organization and resource-sharing [00:12:18]. She discusses receiving FEMA aid and Disaster SNAP benefits, noting her privilege in accessing resources due to language, tech literacy, and having an intact home [00:28:12], and reflects on the disaster’s impact on community relationships [00:31:12].
Date
Rights
Interview copyright Claire Siegel and Buncombe County Special Collections.
Format
Language
English
Identifier
MS456.001T
Extent
1 digital video recording (00:38:12); 1 transcript (17 pages); 2 digital photographs
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Duration
00:38:12
Interviewer
Kate Sepp
Interviewee
Claire Siegel
Collection
Tags
Citation
Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, “Interview with Claire Siegel,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed June 15, 2026, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/1394.