Channeling Chantal’s wreckage into recovery!
Flotsam for Good! aims to fundraise for local non-profit 501c3 organizations affected by Tropical Storm Chantal.
Donations will be celebrated by turning some of the storm’s flotsam – colorful plastic balls that washed up along the banks of the Eno River – into holiday ornaments.
Flotsam turned festive!
Donate to a local organization and personalize a (pre-sanitized) flotsam ball.
Links to donate to organizations we suggest:
Hillsborough Community Garden
“Joined at the hip” with PORCH, the HCG provides fresh organic produce to families in need in northern Orange County. Formerly located along the flood plain of the Eno, HCG suffered a catastrophic loss of their crops and infrastructure. They are now in need of a new home as well as new tools, a shed, fencing, and a dependable water source. A potential site in East Hillsborough has been identified and looks very promising.
Eno House
A gathering spot for numerous clubs, fund raising events, and classes—as well as cultivating community in West Hillsborough—the Eno House suffered $1200+ in damages when a tree came down on the “little” house.
Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail
With 923+ volunteer hours logged so far—and future workdays directly related to Chantal cleanup and trail repair scheduled—FMST has taken the lead in removing debris and hazardous materials that wound up along the Eno River flood plain. They are now shifting to repairing trails damaged by the storm.
Orange County Arts Alliance
If you saw pictures in the media of Chantal’s wrath on Hillsborough, you were almost certainly looking at the Eno Arts Mill. Being the poster child for a disaster apparently does have an upside! Over the first 3 days post-Chantal, 450 volunteer hours were logged and financial support from Orange County and the public was immediate and continues to roll in with additional fund-raising events in the works. Still, there is need to help the impacted artists rebuild their livelihoods. You can support these individuals via the Orange County Artist Relief Fund.
Eno River Association
Long time stewards of the Eno River basin, the ERA suffered minimal direct financial damage, but have dedicated staff and volunteer time to supporting others in the community. They endorse supporting the following organizations—including our friends a few miles south of Hillsborough—who shared a disaster with us:
Sound Rivers
Day One Relief
Haw River Assembly
Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation
Paperhand Puppet Project
Can I donate to a different organization?
Absolutely! You are welcome to donate to an organization of your choice in the spirit of
Flotsam for Good!
Balls & sharpies for decorating will be available at Weaver St Market from mid-November thru December
Put your finished ball in the bin and we’ll transform it into an ornament and put it on display on the patio.
For those who can’t make it to WSM in person, we will gladly personalize an ornament on your behalf to include a name and/or short message.
Email your message to: flotsamforgood@gmail.com
FAQs
May I take some balls for decorating my home?
Of course! Make a donation and take what you need for a home project. If you require a large quantity (>10ish) please contact us at flotsamforgood@gmail.com. Please don’t deplete the current stock!
May I take balls home to decorate and return later?
Please, no (with caveat below)! These ornaments will be exposed to the elements. I’ve promised the gracious folks at Weaver Street Market that I will not create a mess of glitter and glue, stickers, etc. on their patio. Ornaments for the patio need to be minimalistic with regard to decorative materials (i.e., Sharpies). Caveat: If you’re looking for an activity with the kids at home and then want to return them to WSM, please limit your creativity to Sharpies. Thank you!
May I retrieve my ornament in January after the installation is complete?
Yes, but not directly. For safety and liability reasons, we cannot have the public either hanging nor retrieving ornaments themselves. Please get in touch with us at flotsamforgood@gmail.com and we will arrange a pick up location come January.
What will become of unclaimed ornaments after the installation is over?
Hopefully, they will not be going to the landfill! Nor back into the river! If you have a use for these ornaments post-January, please let me know your needs so my beloved flotsam can continue to live its best life. Email your request to flotsamforgood@gmail.com.
FIND THE FLOTSAM
Weaver Street Market (in Hillsborough)
Big thanks to them for supporting this community effort!
We have a few pieces of locally made flotsam art (like this mobile!) which are available as a “thank you” for a minimum donation of $50 to an organization affected by
Chantal.
To see what’s available and arrange pickup, contact: flotsamforgood@gmail.com
This project was founded by Chris, a Hillsborough local and trash-picker-upper. With support from some choir friends (come sing with us!) and the wonderful Hillsborough community, he’s looking to bring on some holiday magic.
“One of the more unusual items of post-Chantal debris that turned up along the banks of the Eno was a scattering of thousands of colorful plastic balls. While my thoughts were haunted by the loss of life, property, and livelihoods left in Chantal’s wake when I first visited the river, they quickly turned to cleaning up what I could before the next storm washed these balls back into the river.
Over the following days as I filled trash bags with these balls, my heart lightened as I found them perched atop walls and hidden among crevices as if the storm had badly thrown off a mythical bunny’s calendar! Too, the seed of a fund-raising venture to support local non-profits impacted by the storm took root in my brain and has grown into Flotsam for Good!“
Making Some 