I’m Ashley Putnam, Director of Partnerships and Programs at Resources for Resilience, and my role is to make sure our training reaches communities in ways that feel accessible and grounded. 

I live in Weaverville, North Carolina, in Buncombe County. I grew up here. My dad graduated from North Buncombe. I graduated from North Buncombe. My oldest son graduated from North Buncombe. 

Western North Carolina isn’t one thing. Buncombe County stretches from Asheville into smaller, more rural communities. There’s agriculture. There’s farming. There are mountains and hollers and rivers. Many of us are natives. We’re tied to this place in a way that runs deep. 

We take care of our people. And by that, I mean the people of these mountains. It’s how we live. In community.  

Rethinking Resilience 

Being from here shapes how I understand resilience. 

It’s about staying close to people. Listening. Paying attention to what’s happening in a room. Noticing what’s happening in a body. That’s what this work teaches. 

Resources for Resilience helps people understand their nervous systems — how stress shows up physically, emotionally, relationally — and what simple tools can help them regulate. That it’s practical and usable right now. 

Sometimes that’s in a training room. Sometimes it’s in a school or a fire department. Sometimes it’s just a conversation where someone realizes, “Oh! This is what’s happening in my body!” 

When people understand their nervous system, they gain choice. They can respond instead versus react. They can stay connected instead of shutting down. That’s everyday resilience. 

There’s a moment I think about often. 

Immediately following Hurricane Helene, I was standing next to a woman at a donation center, helping where I could. It felt really good to stand there with my feet on the ground. 

I couldn’t fix the reality of what was happening. I didn’t have equipment. I wasn’t clearing debris. But I could stay present. I could stand with people in line with people and ground and talk. 

It was loud and emotional. And a woman next to me was overwhelmed and crying. So I asked her what was helping her through right then. We talked about small highlights in the day. I could see her breathing shift. Her shoulders soften. Nothing dramatic happened. The situation didn’t disappear. But her nervous system settled enough for her to move into the next moment. 

That’s the work. 

I remember one woman who was panicking because she couldn’t reach someone she needed to reach. When I asked what was helping her through, she said her faith. She said she kept humming Amazing Grace. So I asked if I could sing it with her. We stood outside that donation center and sang. We used Rapid Resets. We tapped. We rocked. You could see some real de-escalation. That is nervous system awareness in practice.  

It doesn’t fix the storm. It helps someone settle enough to stay present inside it. 

Rooted, Yet Expansive 

Being from here shapes how I show up in this work. For a long time, I felt that subtle pressure to soften parts of who I am — my accent, my stories, the way this region is sometimes misunderstood. After Helene, I felt something different. Pride. Clarity. 

It made me even more committed to bringing this work into areas we haven’t reached before. In classrooms. In community spaces. In disaster response. In everyday conversations. Resilience isn’t just for the moment things fall apart. It’s for how we live together every day. 

If I could wish anything, it would be that anyone with a nervous system could experience this training. When people understand how our bodies respond to stress, it changes how they show up for themselves and for others. 

And here in western North Carolina, we know something simple and steady: 

We have each other. 

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Conversations in Resilience is a storytelling series from Resources for Resilience, created to elevate the voices of the people doing this work every day. 

My name is Katherine, and I’m a Program Coordinator at Resources For Resilience. My role is largely behind the scenes, supporting training logistics, coordination, and the systems that help our work reach communities across North Carolina. I’m also a trainer, which allows me to stay connected to the heart of the work. I love being able to support both the people delivering this work and the communities receiving it. It feels meaningful, practical, and deeply human. 

Though I live in Asheville now, I’m originally from Atlanta and have lived many places across the U.S. and the world. Moving has always been a part of my story. But when I arrived in Asheville a handful of years ago, something shifted. It truly felt like home. 

There is something about this community that brings a deep sense of belonging, of being seen and heard. That feeling is closely connected to the work I do now. 

How I Came to This Work 

Before joining Resources for Resilience, I worked in education as an administrator. Around the time of the pandemic, I was introduced to Resources for Resilience through a virtual training. The work immediately resonated with me. 

Like many people, I have experienced burnout in my own life. The training helped me better understand my nervous system and why stress was showing up the way it was. What stood out was how accessible and grounding the tools felt. They weren’t overwhelming or prescriptive. Instead, they made it possible to stay engaged in challenging work while also taking care of yourself. 

That idea stayed with me. I continued following the organization, and when an opportunity opened up to become more involved, it felt like a natural next step. 

What Resources for Resilience Does 

Resources for Resilience provides training that helps people understand their nervous systems and how nervous system responses show up in everyday life, especially in high-stress environments. This work supports people who are doing difficult, meaningful work in their communities and need practical tools to manage stress, stay connected, and continue showing up. 

One of the most powerful aspects of this work is how immediately applicable it is. Sometimes it’s a full training. Other times, it’s a brief conversation that helps someone feel more grounded in the moment. You don’t need hours or days to begin experiencing the impact. 

Community Before & After Helene 

After Hurricane Helene, the importance of connection became even more visible. Many lost electricity, internet, and phone service for days. People walked their neighborhoods, checked on one another, and knocked on doors. Neighbors who barely knew each other became sources of support. 

What stood out wasn’t just the immediate response, but the way people continued to show up. I’ve heard countless stories of individuals stepping into roles they never expected, discovering new purpose, and committing more deeply to their communities. In moments like that, it becomes clear that connection is our first line of defense for anything. 

Why Connection Matters 

Having lived in many places, I’ve always valued relationships, but this work helped me understand just how foundational connection really is. As humans, there is an innate need for belonging and connection that exists in all of us, and that need doesn’t disappear when life gets busy or difficult.  

In many ways, modern life has moved us toward isolation. We live in our own spaces, often disconnected from those around us. This work reminds us that even small moments of connection matter. Making eye contact, sharing a smile, recognizing a familiar face. These moments help regulate our nervous systems and create a sense of safety. 

Rethinking Resilience 

Before this work, I thought resilience meant bouncing back after something hard. Now, I see resilience as the ability to adapt while staying connected. It’s about having tools that help you manage stress, understand your responses, and navigate challenges without disconnecting from yourself or others. 

When you understand your nervous system, you have more choice in how you show up. You also gain the ability to influence how others show up around you. It is so powerful to understand your nervous system and your nervous system responses using simple tools.  

A Hope for the Work 

If I could wish for anything, it would be that every single human could receive Resources for Resilience training. There is often confusion or misunderstanding about what the nervous system is and how it works, and this training helps unlock that understanding in a way that feels empowering and practical. 

I wish every human being could receive Resources For Resilience training. This work deserves to be widespread.

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Conversations In Resilience is a storytelling series from Resources for Resilience, created to elevate the voices of the people doing this work every day.