MCCLC as a Community Resilience Hub: How a School Became a Lifeline
When disaster struck our region, Madison County Community Learning Centers (MCCLC) and its flagship K-8 Woodson Branch Nature School did more than weather the storm—we became a lifeline. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we opened our gates, our kitchens, and our classrooms to meet the urgent needs of our community. And what began as an emergency response has since revealed a larger truth: schools like ours are essential infrastructure for rural resilience.
We Kept the Kids Safe—All of Them
As public schools across the region closed and families scrambled for solutions, Woodson Branch Nature School (WBNS) was back in operation within a week. Our campus was miraculously spared, and we didn’t hesitate—we opened our doors to all children, regardless of enrollment, background, or ability to pay.
Over 150 children passed through our gates during those early weeks. We provided calm, safety, and structure. Our staff created trauma-informed classroom spaces. Our gardens became grounding places. Our outdoor trails offered fresh air and regulated nervous systems.
This wasn’t just emergency childcare—it was restoration and re-stabilization for a generation in crisis.
We Empowered Students to Be Helpers
Crisis can either isolate or empower. We chose empowerment.
At MCCLC, we’ve long believed that children thrive when they are useful—especially in difficult times. During the flood recovery, students became part of the solution:
Middle schoolers helped organize and distribute meals from World Central Kitchen.
Elementary students wrote cards and created gifts for utility workers and first responders.
Children harvested vegetables, packed herbs, and gathered firewood to distribute to families in need.
Rather than shielding them from reality, we gave them purpose within it. The result? A sense of agency, contribution, and healing.
We Showed Up for Staff, Too
Our resilience strategy wasn’t just about caring for students—it included honoring our staff as whole people navigating their own storm recovery.
We implemented:
Flexible schedules so staff could tend to flood damage at their own homes.
Rotating volunteer support so no one was overwhelmed or burned out.
Emotional wellness check-ins and care circles to process grief, fatigue, and stress.
Most importantly, no one had to go on unemployment. We made it work—together—through shared responsibility and compassionate leadership.
We Nourished the Community
While local grocery shelves went bare, our Farm & Food program was in full bloom. With dozens of crops ready to harvest, we pivoted quickly to become a food access point:
Preparing and distributing nutrient-rich meals
Sharing fresh, ready-to-eat produce
Packaging herbal wellness products like elderberry syrup and reishi tinctures
Every leaf and root we gave away was grown by students, harvested with intention, and distributed with dignity.
We Housed the Helpers
With other venues closed, our indoor and outdoor spaces became classrooms and sanctuaries for local artists, healers, and educators. We hosted:
Workshops in eco-arts and traditional crafts
Movement and sound healing sessions
Reskilling classes in permaculture, shelter-building, and herbal medicine
In a time of emotional overwhelm, these gatherings reminded people of beauty, creativity, and shared humanity.
Why MCCLC Makes the Perfect Resilience Hub
The way we responded wasn’t accidental—it was the natural extension of who we are and how we’ve built this organization over the last 15+ years.
Here’s why MCCLC is uniquely equipped to be a rural Resilience Hub:
✅ We’re trusted. Families and children already feel safe here—allowing rapid response without red tape.
✅ We’re stocked. We have first aid, food systems, clean water, and materials for shelter, cooking, and comfort.
✅ We’re trained. Our team is certified in Wilderness First Aid and campus-wide safety protocols. We know how to respond swiftly and responsibly in outdoor, rural, and emergency settings.
✅ We’re flexible. Our staff, systems, and spaces adapt quickly—indoors and outdoors—to meet evolving needs.
✅ We’re skilled. From farming to foraging, conflict resolution to carpentry, our team holds the life skills most useful in times of disruption.
✅ We’re collaborative. With partners like LightEN, Beacon of Hope, World Central Kitchen, and our local nonprofit organizations and businesses, we’re already embedded in a larger ecosystem of support.
✅ We’re proactive. We don’t wait for rescue—we become the helpers.
This Is What Community-Led Resilience Looks Like
The storm was fierce, but the response was fiercer. When families didn’t know where to turn, they turned to us—and we showed up. With food, with childcare, with healing, with hope.
Today, our campus continues to grow not just as a school, but as a model for what a resilient, regenerative, rural community can look like.
If you’re wondering what kind of school can handle the next storm, or support the next wave of healing, the answer is clear:
One that already is.
Watch the video to glimpse back to the work we did to be that beacon of light post Hurricane Helene :
