First Lady Pool Reports of October 25, 2024

FLOTUS Pool report #1 – World Central Kitchen/VRQ in Asheville, NC

First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Asheville, North Carolina on Friday, Oct. 25 to meet with volunteers and learn about relief efforts in the wake of Helene, which caused record flooding in the region.

She landed at the Asheville Regional Airport close to 11:30 a.m. and did not make remarks before heading to two World Central Kitchen locations in Asheville.

Volunteers at World Central Kitchen's field kitchen at Bear's Smokehouse, 135 Coxe Avenue, showed FLOTUS around the operation and described relief efforts since the storms. FLOTUS was greeted by Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, chef and humanitarian Jose Andres, and others. The smell of pork loin and beans filled the air.

FLOTUS donned an apron and gloves and stirred a large pot of beans. She also worked in a line of volunteers to wrap dishes of beans for distribution and asked some volunteers how their families and homes fared during Helene.

FLOTUS then visited another World Central Kitchen location nearby, at Ben's Tune-Up at
195 Hilliard Avenue. She joined a line packaging meals, alongside North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Manheimer and others. She also passed meals out to a line of people along Hilliard Avenue, and appeared in a few selfies.

FLOTUS then headed to Veterans Restoration Quarters at 1329 Tunnel Road, and met with Team Rubicon workers amid dust and debris, speaking before a mural of the American flag. "I really appreciate you coming here and helping other veterans," she said.

FLOTUS arrived back at the airport at around 2 p.m., and the pool departed.

Additional background on the event from the White House:

Today, October 25th, First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Asheville, North Carolina to meet with community members and volunteers following the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

World Central Kitchen Volunteer Event
Following her arrival at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, North Carolina, the First Lady and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper will visit World Central Kitchen's (WCK) meal preparation and distribution operations in Asheville, North Carolina. During the visit, they will receive a briefing on WCK's operations to prepare, load, and distribute meals to Asheville residents. The First Lady and Governor Cooper will participate in wrapping, plating, and serving meals. They will be joined by WCK volunteers and:

• Chairman Brownie Newman, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, North Carolina
• Mayor Esther Manheimer, City of Asheville
• José Andrés, Founder, World Central Kitchen
• Fiona Donovan, Director of Relief Operations, World Central Kitchen
• Carol Spagnuola, Volunteer Coordinator, World Central Kitchen
• Jamie McDonald, Co-Owner, Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue
• Cheryl Antoncic, Co-Owner, Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue
• Katie Button, Chef and Founder, Cúrate and La Bodega by Cúrate

Background on World Central Kitchen
Founded by Chef José Andrés in 2010, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a global, non-profit food relief organization that serves fresh meals to communities impacted by natural disasters and during humanitarian crises. In Asheville, North Carolina, WCK partnered with local restaurant Bear's Smokehouse BBQ and local brewery Ben's Tune Up to provide meals to Asheville residents.

Team Rubicon Stop

The First Lady will stop by Team Rubicon's operations at Veterans Restoration Quarters (VRQ) in Asheville, North Carolina to thank volunteers and staff. As part of nonprofit Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM), VRQ is a housing facility forveterans experiencing homelessness that provides transitional and permanent supportive housing, as well as educational and training opportunities, among other services. At VRQ, the First Lady will be greeted by:

• Jeff Byard, Vice President of Operations, Team Rubicon
• Adam Garner, Senior Associate for Operations, Team Rubicon
• Reverend Scott Rogers, CEO, Asheville Buncombe Christian Community Ministry
• Brandon Wilson, COO, Asheville Buncombe Christian Community Ministry

Background on Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. In Asheville, they are focused on removing and clearing debris to prepare the site for restoration, after flooding from Hurricane Helene devastated the housing facility.

Background on Biden-Harris Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts in North Carolina
Following Hurricane Helene's devastating impacts across the Southeast and Appalachia, the Biden-Harris Administration continues its robust Federal efforts to help communities recover and rebuild, including in heavily impacted communities in North Carolina. Across the state, the Administration is working alongside state and local officials to continue surging resources and assisting families, business owners, farmers, and other impacted communities receive the support and assistance they need and deserve.

Additional information is available HERE.

FLOTUS Pool Report #2 Harris-Walz campaign event Fayetteville, North Carolina

First Lady Jill Biden visited the Cumberland County Democratic Party headquarters in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Friday afternoon to attend a veterans and military families canvass launch for the Harris-Walz campaign in Fayetteville.

After landing at Fayetteville Regional Airport, FLOTUS arrived at the Cumberland County Democratic at 3:31 p.m. in blue blazer and white Harris campaign T-shirt.

Suryah Ethridge, Field Organizer, North Carolina Coordinated Campaign, introduced FLOTUS.

"We do not want a commander in chief who calls veterans cowards ...," Ethridge said. "They do not deserve to be called a coward. We deserve a compassionate commander in chief."

FLOTUS' remarks bean at 3:36 p.m. She told the crowd her father was a World War II veteran and that the Biden's late son, Beau Biden, also served in the Delaware National Guard.

FLOTUS said Vice President Kamala Harris understands the sacrifices military families make, which includes spouses having to find new jobs and kids having to start new schools.

"That's why she and Joe made it easier for military spouses to get and keep federal jobs," Biden said. " As president, Kamala will make life a little easier for working families. She will expand the child tax credit, and provide tax relief for the first year of a child's life."

Biden said that Harris' opponent, former President Donald Trump, will keep grocery prices high by giving corporations that profited during the COVID-19 pandemic tax breaks.

"Kamala will lower prices," Biden said.

She spoke about how Harris was raised by a middle-class working mother, and said Harris is fighting to give first time homebuyers a $25,000 downpayment.

In speaking about women's rights, Biden said that she as devastated when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

"The government should not be telling women what to do," Biden said.

She said Trump's abortion bans take away the ability for women to make their own healthcare decisions, but Harris will sign a national law to restore reproductive freedoms, which she said is important for military families.

"You shouldn't have to worry that the care you need might be banned at your next duty station," Biden said.

Biden concluded her remarks by reminding the crowd that early voting in North Carolina ends Nov. 2 and asked who remembered the 2016 election, when Democrats were sure they'd win.

"Remember that feeling – thinking if we only had made a few more calls, if only we had knocked on more doors," Biden asked. "We can't let that happen again."

FLOTUS' remarks ended at 3:44 p.m., with the crowd changing "Thank you Joe."

FLOTUS briefly took a few photos, before leaving. There were no media interviews.

Ahead of FLOTUS' remarks were Karla McClure, regional organizational director, Alexandra Drakeford, a North Carolina field organizer for the Harris for President campaign and Jacob Johnson.

McClure, Drakeford and Johnson encouraged the crowd to get out to canvass for Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz, and Drakeford and Johnson provided examples of how canvassing can look.

Also ahead of FLOTUS' remarks Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said he was thrilled to welcome FLOTUS to Fayetteville.

"The road to the white house will run right here through Fayetteville, North Carolina and North Carolina, and we are going to bring this home for vice president, soon to be president, Kamala Harris," Colvin.

Colvin credited Harris for working with President Joe Biden, after people were dying, businesses closed and some people were kicked out of their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Biden-Harris team have shown that they put people first," Colvin said.

State Sen. Val Applewhite, an Air Force veteran, said she hosted FLOTUS at Applewhite's Fayetteville home four years ago, when FLOTUS campaigned in Fayetteville for her husband.

Applewhite said FLOTUS has dedicated her life to championing the needs of veterans and military families.

"She has heard us and advocated for us," Applewhite said. "She founded a white house initiative to support military families."
Applewhite said Harris and Walz share the same values.

"(They) know we have a sacred obligation to care for service members, veterans and their families," Applewhite said.

Applewhite said Harris fought alongside Biden to pass the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act(PACT Act), which expanded benefits for vetearns exposed to toxic substances.

She said Walz is a 24-year veteran of the National Guard, and she believes Harris and Walz are fighting for veterans and to end veteran homelessness, while also investing in mental health and suicide prevention efforts.

She told the crowd the election will be a close one, and they are needed to help with phones, knocking on doors and encouraging people to vote.

"When we fight, we win, and we're not going back, because we have a new way forward," Applewhite said.

Additional background on the event, from the White House and Harris-Walz campaign:

First Lady Jill Biden is delivering remarks at a Veterans and Military Families for Harris-Walz Canvass Launch at a campaign field office in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Speaking program:
• Suryah Ethridge, Field Organizer, North Carolina Coordinated Campaign
• First Lady Jill Biden

FLOTUS Pool Report #3 — Harris-Walz campaign event in Cary, NC

Hi all, I'm your print pooler for the First Lady's campaign event in Cary, North Carolina today.

First Lady Jill Biden visited Chatham Station in Cary, North Carolina on Friday, Oct. 25 to attend a canvass launch for the Harris-Walz campaign.

After landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Morrisville, FLOTUS entered Chatham Station at 5:14 p.m. wearing a baby blue blazer and white Harris-Walz shirt.

Violet Kopp, field organizer for the North Carolina Coordinated Campaign, introduced FLOTUS to the audience. Kopp and FLOTUS took the stage at 5:20 p.m.

"The rest of the country is counting on us here in North Carolina to have a handful of conversations that will lead to a handful of voters going to the polls, to cast votes that will change this country forever," Kopp said.

Prior to FLOTUS' arrival, state Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, state Rep. Maria Cervania, and U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross spoke at the event about reproductive rights, canvassing, early voting, electing Democrats in down-ballot races, and flipping the U.S. House.

FLOTUS began speaking at 5:24 p.m. She thanked Kopp, Ross, Chaudhuri, and Cervania for their remarks.

FLOTUS talked about rising prices for groceries and how Harris' opponent, former President Donald Trump, would give corporations tax cuts and keep grocery prices up while Harris would do the opposite.

"She is going to fight back against greedy corporations and crack down," FLOTUS said.

FLOTUS condemned the Trump-Vance campaign's opposition to abortion, reproductive freedom, and in vitro fertilization.

"There's only one candidate in this race who will protect women's rights, and that's Kamala Harris, who would proudly sign a national law to restore reproductive freedom to every woman in every state of our country," FLOTUS said.

FLOTUS spoke about how her and Harris have gotten to know each other well over the past few years.

"One of the things we bonded over was how we lost our mothers, both to cancer, both long before we were done needing them," FLOTUS said.

FLOTUS reminded the audience of how they felt the morning after the 2016 election and how they can't let that happen again. She encouraged early voting and convincing others to vote.

"We have to meet this moment as if our rights are at stake, because they are, as if our freedoms are on the line, because they are," FLOTUS said, with the crowd chanting "because they are" in unison.

FLOTUS stopped speaking at 5:33 p.m. She left the venue at 5:35 p.m.

Crowd chanted "Jill!" after the speech and FLOTUS briefly took photos, shook hands with attendees.

Estimating about 100 attendees at the event, who cheered enthusiastically throughout the program.

Additional background from the Harris-Walz Campaign:

First Lady Jill Biden is delivering remarks at a Fighting for Reproductive Freedom Canvass Launch in Cary, North Carolina.

Speaking program:

• Violet Kopp, Field Organizer, North Carolina Coordinated Campaign
• First Lady Jill Biden