A Future Home for Bee Log

Barbecue, live music, and ideas for the future brought neighbors together at Bee Log’s monthly Jam Session this past weekend. MountainTrue’s Appalachian Design Center (ADC) joined the gathering to introduce our work with the Bee Log Community & Relief Center in Yancey County and share preliminary design concepts for a permanent home.

The preliminary designs sparked lively conversation throughout the gathering as attendees asked questions and shared ideas—from laundry facilities to survival skills training. Their involvement offered an early look at what a permanent center could mean to this community.

When Hurricane Helene struck, damaged roads and bridges cut off the rural, unincorporated community of Bee Log and surrounding communities in Yancey County. Residents organized to help their neighbors, establishing a relief hub in a former school to distribute food and essential supplies. That grassroots effort grew into the Bee Log Community & Relief Center, which continues to provide services and a place for people to connect.

The center’s current space is temporary. Seven volunteer design professionals enthusiastically stepped forward to support Bee Log, working alongside the organization’s leadership and residents to envision a permanent home for everyday programs, services, and gatherings, as well as support during future emergencies.

The conversations at the Jam Session will help shape the next round of designs, building on the local knowledge and neighbor-to-neighbor commitment that brought the center into being.

Thank you to our volunteer design team—Aaron Ernst, Arthur Salido, Ava Carr, Desiree Hollar, Jason Woolbert, Marlee Beres, and Tim Brown—for sharing their time and expertise as we envision Bee Log’s future home.