Helene Heroes - Ponkho Bermejo, Beloved Asheville

With roads and communication closed off the morning after the storm, those in Western North Carolina had to band together to find resources and rescue people who were trapped by floodwaters. Gustavo Bermejo, known as Ponkho, was one of the first to mobilize when the heavy rain and wind stopped on Friday morning.

Bermejo is one of the directors of BeLoved Asheville, a nonprofit organization that has been around for fifteen years. “My role is to be present and ready for whatever is needed,” he says. Since its inception, BeLoved has worked to strengthen ties within the community; they've done outreach work, raised significant funding, collected and dispersed donations, created affordable housing, and more. 

The organization frequently made national news following the hurricane, and for good reason. Immediately after the storm passed, Bermejo and other BeLoved directors and volunteers began coordinating aid to Asheville and the surrounding areas. “When I came to the center of this community [Swannanoa], I was coming with a truck. I started seeing—from every direction from the streets—people coming with chainsaws. People I had never met before. We didn’t even talk about it. We knew it was the moment we had to figure our way out because nobody was coming to rescue us.” 

Bermejo and a few others at BeLoved were able to maintain some cell service after it had been disrupted for a majority of residents in the area. Through his many years working with BeLoved, Bermejo has formed many relationships between various organizations and individuals. By using his connections strategically, Bermejo and others were able to quickly bring in vital supplies like food and water into Asheville, as well as check on vulnerable members of the community. “The only way we can save lives is if everyone starts mobilizing and distributing what we are receiving,” he says.

“In many places, the only way they were able to share the food, water, and supplies was with a string,” he shares. Because so many bridges and roads had been demolished, they had to use a pulley system to send supplies to people who were trapped.

After the community’s most immediate needs, like food and water, had been met, BeLoved began hosting fundraisers, drives, and giveaways for other important supplies like diapers, clothing and shoes, generators, and tents for people who had lost everything. The organization frequently gave away propane tanks (and vouchers for free refills) and heaters as the weather cooled down. In January, the Indigo Girls, a folk rock duo from Georgia, held a benefit concert for the organization as well. 

Bermejo also recognizes the swift action of other BeLoved directors, volunteers, community members, and WNC neighbors for the success of the organization’s relief efforts. Many individuals and groups who went out of their way to donate their time, energy, money, and supplies to BeLoved in the storm’s aftermath, he says.

“What I remember about this is the love we received from many parts of the country.” Bermejo recounts the visit BeLoved received from a group from Ohio who figured out an analogue driving route into Western North Carolina. They brought many supplies into the region, and pledged to come back with more goods. 

Bermejo began working with BeLoved in 2013 after meeting the old administrators for a music jam session. “Because we have a similar mentality of what we want in life, we decided to create what is known as an intentional community,” he explains. The first several weeks after Helene, Bermejo slept in BeLoved’s office near Highland Brewing—it was the best way he could help, he explains, since people showed up looking for support as early as five in the morning. By being at the office full-time, he could provide immediate aid to those in need.

In 2025, BeLoved is focusing on rebuilding Asheville and the surrounding areas. Many people lost their homes to the floodwaters and high winds, so BeLoved provided for temporary housing, like RVs and tiny homes. The organization has partnered with local contractors to rebuild and donate homes to individuals and families who lost everything. 

“We know that many of the people who lost their houses are people who work in hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores. Having deeply affordable homes is more necessary here than ever because these are the people who lost everything,” Bermejo says. 

Along with residences in Arden, Fletcher, and Leicester, BeLoved has created a “housing village” in Swannanoa, one of the towns seriously affected by Hurricane Helene. Their aim is to create at least 20 homes in this area this spring during what’s known as a “blitz build.” They’ve placed a national call to rebuild/reframe the homes in less than a week, which the organization has done in the past on a smaller scale. Bermejo says, “many people focus on the big rivers like the French Broad and Swannanoa River, but all the creeks became rivers on this day, too. We are going to these corners to help more people.”

To learn more about BeLoved Asheville, visit belovedasheville.com.