Clay Crew Check-In #1
In the days following Hurricane Helene, our team has been holding close the things that matter most—community, care, and resilience. We’ve been reminded that even in the midst of loss and uncertainty, there’s strength in gathering, sharing stories, and rebuilding side by side.
As we find our way forward, stay connected with us through Clay Crew Check-Ins, a series of company updates centering the voices of our team.
From Alex, Founder & CEO
Our Founder and CEO, Alex Matisse, shares gratitude for the folks who showed up to support Western North Carolina and East Fork in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane. Alex also gives a brief update about our plan for resuming our factory and shipping operations.
“I can’t thank you enough…keep giving to the organizations that are doing the work on the ground here, and keep thinking about us all. This place has changed overnight in ways that I think people here could never have imagined.”
From Mallory, Sr. Content Strategist
Senior Content Strategist, Mallory Schwartz, shares her story about how she navigated the storm and pivoted to help keep the team moving. If you keep up with us on social media, Mallory also outlines what you can expect to see from us in the coming weeks.
“Even though it feels strange to market and sell things right now, we had a lot of exciting launches planned for the rest of the year… Your support will help us continue to keep payroll going, as well as be able to donate to our Community Partners.”
From Patty, Community Impact Coordinator
Patty Urrutia serves as East Fork’s Community Impact Coordinator and gives us a bird’s-eye-view of the work of our current Community Partners: grassroots organizations with boots on the ground, working hard in our region’s process of recovery.
“As East Fork closed its doors due to lack of water and electricity, we decided to try to put our efforts into our Community Partners and help them as much as we could. They know what they’re doing. We just have to follow their lead, and that’s what we’re going to try to do during this time.”
Photo Credit: @belovedasheville
From Dan, Facilities Manager
Facilities Manager, Dan Segal, checks in on our team’s first day back in the facilities since the storm and the work his team did to make our return possible.
“Thursday before the storm, Alex made the call to close the factories. At the time, we thought everyone would be back to work on Monday. Obviously, after we saw the damage the storm created, we knew it was going to be longer than that.”
