Resourcing Appalachian Resilience After Helene: An SSIR Conversation

Appalachia’s history, culture, and struggles are unique. But Appalachia’s experience with Hurricane Helene offers a vision of the future, for anywhere in the world where underdeveloped infrastructure is exposed to climate volatility, as the authors of Fall 2026 SSIR article, “Resourcing Appalachian Resilience After Helene” argue. Moreover, the story of how a trust-based, relational infrastructure was built in the wake of the disaster—to do what government and traditional philanthropy didn’t or couldn’t—offers a road map for many communities, across the world, in an increasingly climate-changed future.

Join a conversation between authors Ryan Eller and Andrew Crosson with Center for Disaster Philanthropy CEO Patricia “Patty” McIlreavy—moderated by SSIR editor Aaron Bady—about trust-based resilience, relational recovery, and the future of disaster philanthropy.

Andrew Crosson is the founding CEO of Invest Appalachia.

Dr. Ryan M. Eller is the executive director of the Appalachia Funders Network.

Patricia “Patty” McIlreavy is president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy

Join the live conversation on Wednesday, October 28, at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST.