Pay it Forward

Neighbors helping neighbors

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Deena Bouknight

In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, verse 31, Jesus commands us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That mandate has been evident all over the Western North Carolina region since Sept. 27, as strangers, acquaintances, and good friends – our “neighbors” – have stepped up and stepped in to assist with a barrage of needs. Flooded homes, crushed cars, tree-laden roads, debris-strewn driveways, and downed power lines suddenly became a commonplace sight. 

And Macon County did not even experience the worst of it. A front from the west that stalled first and then was joined by Hurricane Helene dumped around 10 inches here; but farther northeast are the most ill-fated cities and towns, including Asheville, Hendersonville, Black Mountain, Fairview, Fletcher, Swannanoa, Lake Lure, and Chimney Rock, the latter of which is essentially nonexistent as the Rocky Broad River swelled to at least twice its size and wiped out the village’s shops, restaurants, and homes. 

Untold numbers of people lost power, and some are still without power. For at least three days, cell service was down in much of Macon County. 

Several churches with power and cell service opened their doors the day after Helene made landfall to begin offering individuals internet so they could contact loved ones, fill water bottles, and use a microwave to heat food. The Otto and Macon County Community Centers as well as the Town of Franklin provided cell service and more. 

Neighbors with electricity or with generators offered up freezers and refrigerator space to anyone worried about food spoilage. Generators were shared; gas was shared. Medicine and food were shared. Neighbors even loaned cash, since cards could not be used in stores for several days. 

Jack and Doreen Castle, retired veterans active with various ministries and organizations, including overseeing their own Castle for Christ ministry, have volunteered with The Fathers House in Franklin to take pallets of water bottles and food to downtown Asheville, serving the formerly and newly homeless. 

Jack said the devastation elicited an emotional response: “You … see lost hope, total despair, and even desperation. What will we do? Where will we go? How do I feed my family? These are just some of the questions that seem to have no answer now or even tomorrow. Jesus said the first commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind and the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37-39). When you love the Lord who willingly gave His life to die on the cross so that we may have eternal life, who loves you unconditionally with more grace and mercy than we deserve … you start seeing your neighbor as He does and love those who He loves and care for those who He cares for.”

The Castles are working with Victory Baptist Church, which is a collection point for donations, as well as assisting individuals amassing and distributing special request items, such as free firewood, since cooler weather is on the way.

So much support

Isaiah 43:2 offers, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you …” Indeed, during a time of great downpours and flooding in this area, we are not alone. In our neighbors, those Good Samaritans, as well as dedicated firefighters, law enforcement officers, utility workers, roadway personnel, public works employees, county and town leaders, business owners – and so many more – we observe and experience true assistance and fellowship when crisis occurs. 

Outdoor 76 is one local business that jumped into action just a day after the storm subsided. As of late last week, 14 trailers had been filled behind the Main Street retailer with 70,000 pounds of donated items, which have been taken to affected areas in and around Asheville. 

Commented Rob Gasbarro, one of Outdoor 76’s owners, on social media: “It’s unbelievable and truly says so much about the type of communities that both Clayton and Franklin are. … things are not great, but they are better because of the love and compassion that has been shown during a very difficult time in our neighboring communities.”

He added that around 100 messages are being fielded daily through their store from people who are concerned and want to help. “We are no longer taking donations at the store. We are telling people to take donations to Discover Church.” 

County Commissioner Danny Antoine, who owns Danny Antoine’s Martial Arts Academy, has already taken at least a half dozen loads of donated supplies to people in need. Donations of blankets, warm clothing, and sleeping bags are being accepted at the Academy, located at 236 Cunningham Road, Franklin. 

“People have been so generous,” said Antoine. “Items like these are crucial for those who have lost everything.”

Regarding the call for medical care, hundreds of nurses and dozens of physicians from surrounding states have converged on affected areas to offer up their skills, according to Mission Health spokesperson Nancy Lindell. “This is a difficult time and we are doing all we can to bring help and relief to those in need,” she informed. 

Jessica Merritt, director of Franklin-based Special Liberty Project, regarding a donation delivery on Oct. 5, stated: “It was heartwarming to witness so many civilian volunteers coming together to support one another during this time of absolute devastation. While there’s a lot of help reaching the Asheville area, it’s still not enough. Our next mission will focus on smaller mountain towns like Burnsville and surrounding rural areas, where resources are much scarcer. With no hope of electricity being restored soon and colder temperatures approaching, we are gathering and purchasing warm blankets and sleeping bags to help keep families safe and warm. This is truly about community lifting up community. It’s been incredible to witness our mountain neighbors coming together to spread love, support, and healing during such a challenging time. While the devastation is immense and the road to recovery will be long, the strength and compassion we’ve seen leads to hope for the future.”

AMONG ITEMS being collected are nonperishable and canned food and bottled water. Outdoor 76 on Main Street and GR828 in partnerships with Discover Church at 47 Macon Center Drive are but two locations to drop off donations.

Ways to help

Special Liberty Project’s upcoming scheduled donation drop-off is Oct. 10-12, at 635 Berry Cove Road, Franklin; or, call Merritt at (619)726-9240 or email her at [email protected], for information regarding future donation opportunities.

Besides blankets, sleeping bags, and warm clothing, Coleman camp stoves and screw-on, disposable propane tanks as well as single butane burners and cans of butane are also greatly needed. 

Franklin High School (FHS) is also participating. Principal Blair King announced that the FHS Student Leadership is overseeing a “Coins for Conference” campaign “to raise funds to help schools in our conference rebuild after the hurricane. Every penny counts! Bring your loose change or cash [to FHS lobby] to support those in need.” 

In the days following the storm, a nonprofit known as GR828 WNC Intake/Distribution Center began receiving donations at the old Kmart building west of Franklin. Dozens of trucks have been filled and disbursed and virtually hundreds of volunteers have participated in the process.  Among the volunteers were FHS athletes, Scouts, and Bartram and Macon Early College students. When the group found out they would have to move due to “circumstances beyond their control.” The group and its dedicated volunteers moved the entire building contents to 47 Macon Center Drive at the old CareNet store next to Discover Church. Follow them on Facebook for ongoing updates. Donations are still being accepted there. If the doors are locked, donations may be left in front of the doors. Follow them on Facebook for ongoing updates.

To assist with ongoing needs in still-affected areas, such as cleanup, housing, supplies, food, and more, Discover Church lists organizations looking for help at https://www.ilovemytown.org/. And, Blue Ridge Public Radio provides a long list of resources at https://www.bpr.org/bpr-news/2024-09-28/list-ways-to-donate-and-help-flood-victims-in-western-north-carolina-after-hurricane-helene.

Also, check with local churches, some of which are organizing assistance efforts and collecting donations. 

Meeting Macon County’s needs 

Even though people in Macon County were spared for the most part from the extreme devastation that has been witnessed in person and on the news and social media farther east and north from our area, some experienced damage and loss due to flooding, downed trees and wind. 

“We actually were still housing two families over the weekend [Oct. 4-6] that experienced flooding and/or utility damage,” said Warren Cabe, director of Macon County Emergency Services.

During and immediately after the storm, Cabe released updates about outages, conditions, and offerings for affected individuals and families. 

“The UnMet Needs Committee opened a distribution center at the vacant Ingles building at 183 Holly Springs Plaza this morning [Monday, Oct. 7] to distribute supplies to people in need and to also receive donations. Last week prior to the center opening, crews delivered food to various community agencies and food pantries in Highlands and Franklin to replenish their stock as many had difficulties in getting their normal shipments from various places. Food was also distributed at the Senior Center and DSS Thursday and Friday.”

He added that a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representative assigned to Macon County arrived earlier in the week and began assessing damage and needs.

“We expect to see some assistance from North Carolina as certain recovery programs are proposed and approved by the legislature and we will know more about that in the near future,” said Cabe. “We have requested a public assistance damage assessment for the Town of Highlands to evaluate them for possible recovery of funds due to the extensive damage to their utility system and the large amount of vegetative debris that had to be removed from the roadways.”

Cabe said that anyone in Macon County needing to apply for assistance from FEMA or to learn about other resources for assistance or to donate can visit www.maconnc.org.

Otto Community Development Organization, at 60 Firehouse Road, has MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and water available. Call the organization’s president, Tom Young, (828)634-1039, for more information.