Amanda Murphy

11/07/2024

Good morning loves, I want to shine a little light on this darkest of weeks. If you live in NC, humanity won Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Public Instruction. OH and broke the super majority in the House of Representatives, which is a big deal. I imagine this might be true in other states here in America as well. If so, please share about it! We all need the light.

It’s time for us to talk community resilience. I'm starting to talk with my communities of people to learn what their skills are and make sure we have one another's contact information.

This is not a time for panic, this is a time for calm, strategic decisions. We have more in common with our neighbors, no matter how they voted, than you think. And we need one another. I need you.

Love ya'll, mean it. Take good care.

Send a message to learn more

10/24/2024

Wake County Public School System secures five-year, $14.1 million federal grant to support school-based mental health services - hell yes, good job! I love that they took the time to apply for a federal grant so that their citizens don't have to pay more taxes.

I am a grant writer for federal grants, specifically, and I know the work that goes into these applications. If you haven't today, thank your Wake County School board members, they are on the right path. Thank you to the ones I know: Lindsay Hegyi Mahaffey, Tyler Swanson, Lynn Smith Edmonds, great job team.

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10/11/2024

I love when research supports that we humans are more alike than we are different, and we cross party lines on the big issues.

"Support for Implementing Natural Climate Solutions in the United States is Strong and Growing: A new national survey conducted by US Nature4Climate shows that voters across party lines support natural climate solutions more than ever. Unlike other issues that polarize American voters, Natural Climate Solutions are uniquely unifying. Voters largely reject criticism that Natural Climate Solutions are too expensive and distract from other priorities, recognizing the broad array of benefits they provide.

The poll also indicates that voters feel more favorably toward Members of Congress who support these solutions. Voters also strongly support a diverse range of practices and policies to fund and implement NCS strategies, including reforestation, wildfire management, and the provision of incentives and technical support for farmers and forest owners keen on adopting climate-smart practices and feel favorably toward Members of Congress that support these solutions. In short, this poll underscores how much voters across all parties support Natural Climate Solutions to help people, nature, and the climate." by Nathan Henry, Director of U.S. Nature4Climate | August 7, 2024

Spend time listening to your neighbors and your community, and check out this link:

A new national survey conducted by U.S. Nature4Climate (USN4C) shows that voters across party lines support natural climate solutions more than ever, suggesting fertile ground for bi-partisan cooperation and consensus-building, opening up new avenues for climate action.

10/04/2024

I've got a friend on the ground in Buncombe County in western NC:

Updates for anyone in Western NC, especially those NOT downtown Asheville or in Arden. Please send these to your contacts currently in Western NC.

Emergency unemployment for anyone out of work: https://www.des.nc.gov/dua - also helps sole proprietors and contractors and 1099s

Fill out this form online or call in and go help older people call in - this is where people can begin registering for FEMA assistance of all kinds both now and in the future. They'll need it for things like homeowners insurance that doesn't cover flooding, reimbursement for power and water and lost food, etc etc: https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or FEMA Helpline: 1-800-621-3362, 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week. - FEMA has hotel vouchers at the same line: 1.800.621.3362 7am-10pm (Verified by AHA)

SBA.gov manages small business disaster funding which can help small businesses float through for unemployment and rebuilding, and Mountain Bizworks can also help with these programs: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

Please, please tell people who evacuated NOT to come back yet even if their power is back on unless they absolutely have to. Resources are still in priority one status, which is simply saving lives, and even if they bring their own food and water they'll be straining the sewer systems and roads in addition to emergency response.

10/02/2024

Ya'll. I spent this week learning and hearing first hand about what is happening in multiple counties in the western part of my state, North Carolina. I know you are seeing the devastation on the news. I wanted to also share what I'm hearing firsthand.

I heard that entire water systems are completely closed, these water systems can serve anywhere from 100,000-150,000 people. I heard of stories of grocery stores being empty and owners unable to get more food for the community because of road closings. I heard stories of gas being out at all gas stations and owners only accepting cash because cards don't work unless there is power. I heard stories of families taking baths by hauling buckets of cold pond water to hot tubs, and relying on neighbors for well water as they are completely out of water and/or the water has a boil advisory because of contamination. I heard stories of folks having to leave messages on white boards at homes and at fire stations for other community members. And AM radio is back in this as the cell phone towers and wifi are not working. The worst story I've heard is that community members have watched their friends die in the flooding and there was nothing they could do.

The western part of the state is in distress. They are asking folks not to drive up there. If you want to send money, I highly recommend trusted places like the Red Cross, the NC Department of Environmental Quality website, https://www.deq.nc.gov/, they have a button at the top with a link to donate to help rebuild these destroyed water systems, or send money if you know local agencies in the area with boots on the ground.

For the rest of us not in distress, I urge you to prepare for these storms and their increasing intensity. It can take rescue groups days to find folks. I highly encourage you to purchase things like water purification tablets, flashlights, candles, a whiteboard to leave outside your house for messaging, an AM radio, extra water for a couple of days, grill with propane tanks or fire pit, canned food. Make yourself a disaster kit, and do not, I repeat, do not selfishly empty shelves with hoarding behavior like during COVID times, you know who you are.

And finally, are you able? If so, how can you serve your community, how can you support building community. Do you know your neighbors? These people can and will be a lifeline in times of emergency. We can and will need one another.

Send a message to learn more

09/30/2024

The NC Dept of Environmental Quality is pointing people to this link for western NC donations. There are water systems down for more than 200k citizens (maybe 400k) in western NC. Please donate and share if you can. Donate to support Western NC: https://pay.payitgov.com/ncdonations

Thanks, ya'll. Our western friends are suffering and several places have zero water, either from their pipes or available to purchase in stores.

09/27/2024

Hey ya'll, thought I would share this nifty little website I found this week.

If you do a quick search on this government website with public records data and filter out for Israel, each year there are payments made from U.S. tax dollars to Israel for a Foreign Military Financing Program and the amount each year from 2019-2024 is $3,300,000,000. That figure drops to $3,100,000,000 in 2018; $3,175,000,000 in 2017; $3,100,000,000 in 2016, 2015, and 2014; then it drops to $2,943,233,720 in 2013; $3,075,000,000 in 2012; $2,994,000,000 in 2011. Don't take my word for it, take a look at the website yourself.

The fact that there are several different administrations in leadership during this timeframe (2011-2024), both democrat and republicans, is important to note. The U.S. administration has given Israel at least $42 Billion in military aid from our tax dollars since 2011. The documentation goes all the way back to 1951 with the first Foreign Military Financing designation starting in 1959.

What would America look like if we had spent that $42 Billion on our infrastructure, on healthcare, or taking care of basic needs with those tax dollars? Isn't that what they were supposed to be for?

ForeignAssistance.gov is the U.S. government’s flagship website for making U.S. foreign assistance data available to the public. It serves as the central resource for budgetary and financial data produced by U.S. government agencies that manage foreign assistance portfolios.

09/26/2024

I'm super excited about this upcoming webinar series I get to work on. The webinar is scheduled for November 14th at noon EST. Please share this FREE event. We would love to have as many folks in attendance as possible. We have a limit of 500 attendees, so be sure to sign on early on the day of the event. Note: From the Forestry Webinar Portal page, click on "Export to Calendar" to save this awesome event in your personal calendar.

You can’t succeed in an interview without the skills to compete. The National Woodland Owners Association has partnered with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) to increase awareness of forest/woodland opportunities to underserved landowners / farmers. This first webinar of our series will be for students, alumni, university extension, academic researchers, and landowners to learn about career development. National Woodland Owners Association ABAC School of Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://forestrywebinars.net/webinars/workforce-opportunity-series-career-development/webinar_view/

09/02/2024

Last week I had the honor of being invited to screen a short film documentary, “Trail Therapy” in Durham. This film documents a woman's journey to physical wellness through trail running and shines a light on the impossibility of separating physical and mental wellness. It was an inspiring story, and my friends, Angela Hollowell and Jordan Mendys, did an excellent job in directing and videography.

Sometimes it feels like the world is falling apart, okay a lot of times it feels like that. But I find myself drawn to folks like Jordan and Angela, those creating art and film through their own beautiful vision of humanity. Experiencing art like this, that has never been done, is so unique. These two are pushing the boundaries of creativity to serve humanity and this is where I want to spend my days. They inspire me to create my own vision.

I'm so grateful to know folks like this, and to get to grab coffee with them from time to time. The days of networking and collaboration for personal gain are over for me. I want to find ways to support folks and their big ideas, and that is what gives me hope for our future, and helps me know, at a fundamental level, that a new world order is being birthed from the ashes of the old capitalist system.

There is a virtual screening coming soon, so DM me if you want a link or a connection to either of these two changemakers.

06/13/2024

I’m excited to announce that I’ve been spearheading a new workforce opportunity webinar series to increase awareness of forest/woodland opportunities to underserved landowners /farmers.

I am currently serving on a U.S. Forest Service pilot education partnership with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in Tifton, Georgia, and aligned partners throughout the U.S. I'm thrilled to be connected to south Georgia through this project. My family is from Moultrie and I spent many summers as a child camping, "loafin", and playing on the dirt roads in Moultrie. I also have family members who attended ABAC.

I’ve got a great team at the National Woodland Owners Association, looking at you Mark Megalos and Kelley McCarter, as well as Dr. Shannon Kidombo and Freddy Najera at @. Our first webinar: “Workforce Opportunities: Career Development” will be held in November this year, with more webinars planned in 2025. The goal of this pilot program is to build a diverse workforce, assist ABAC with recruitment opportunities, and expand NWOA educational opportunities in the area.

A sustainable forestry ecosystem will require all of us working together! Sign up below for email updates and opportunities to get involved:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/ULmA6xw?source_id=ca07cf0d-0da0-47cd-9ad9-cb11e6ab0e43&source_type=em&c=NUv0g2Lz18fKM8-cFiEJCaSidJKPAKUeElezij6ae5d-IIeRkGZ9gQ==