Update:
Due to the weather, we were not able to be prepared to leave on January 14th as expected. We have rescheduled the trip to February 3rd, 2025. Thank you to each and everyone of you for your generous donations!! Yes we exceeded our goal, I'm blown away by that! Let's see how much more we can raise!
September 27th, 2024 for most of us was just another day. But, for the people of western North Carolina, it would be a day they will never forget as the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene left entire counties in complete destruction. To this day, there are thousands upon thousands of people still essentially homeless. Americans immediately jumped in with donations of food, clothing, and many other daily essentials. However, as the weather turns cold, these flood victims now face a new challenge: surviving winter. As most of their infrastructures have been compromised beyond safe and functional use, most are without power even still today. Propane is in such high demand and low supply that there isn’t nearly enough to cover even a portion of the need. Everyone needs a heat source and the majority of options are simply not on the table at this point.
While we sit in our comfortable homes all warm and cozy with our families, thousands of our fellow Americans are struggling just to survive each day. They have received our food and water and clothing. There are people who are now living in tents, having no other option at the moment. Lost their homes, vehicles, livestock, jobs, schools, EVERYTHING.
I’m not sure how well you can survive in a tent, or in a washed-out house with no power, but for me, that’s unacceptable. I’ve got to do something about it. I’m not wealthy enough to make anyone’s problems disappear. I wasn’t even sure how I could help. Then I was inspired by my friend Jason Jackson, a West Viriginia resident. Jason felt the Lord tugging on his heart strings to go cut firewood in North Carolina to give to people. Jason has organized for multiple truck loads of firewood logs to be delivered to Swannanoa, NC and for himself and a team of 10 men to go and cut and split it all into usable firewood to donate to help people stay warm. Most of you may not understand exactly what it takes to pull off such an effort, but the logistics and coordination are overwhelming to me. There are probably no less than 3 or 4 dozen people involved in making that event happen that will span a couple of days. Loggers and truck drivers all donating time and materials just to supply the logs. Jason and his crew will be hauling several loads of equipment 4-5 hours one way. Paying for overpriced hotel rooms to stay in while they work.
It's all overwhelming to think about trying to organize such a thing, but after I talked to Jason and told him that I want to get involved, but don’t even know where to start with the planning, he immediately became excited and said “the Lord will provide”. I believe in my heart that is true.
Jason and his crew will be in the Swannanoa NC area just after Christmas for their 2-3 day work event. We are currently in the planning stages of organizing a second firewood cutting event where myself and some super hard working, great friends will accompany me on a wonderful journey to help provide even more, much needed firewood to the area!
We plan to take my firewood processor, tractor, dump trailer, chainsaws, splitters, and enough clothes for a few days.
I absolutely cannot stand the thought of asking for help, but unfortunately we cannot swing the expense of this all on our own. We’re not asking for big donations, but to take several trucks and trailers and haul equipment 7+ hours one way, running multiple pieces of equipment all day long for a few days straight, gets fairly costly. We will burn a lot of diesel fuel, possibly a tire or two, saw chains, bar oil, etc. Naturally we will also need to pay for hotel rooms, food and such. It’s hard to estimate our costs, but we are thinking it will cost approximately $12-1500 in fuel if we only take two trucks down. That might be half of the overall cost of the trip. This all assuming that more amazing people will donate the logs and trucking. If not, each load will likely cost somewhere around a thousand dollars each. Our target goal is initially set at $4500. That’s a low starter number. IF the logs and trucking are donated, this will probably cover our expenses and leave a bit for the local firewood ministries to use to put fuel in their trucks to deliver this wood. $4500 is a really modest number. My hope is that this post reaches enough people that we completely blow that number out of the water! We hope that we can arrange enough log loads to keep us busy for several days and keep as many people warm as possible!!!
If you can spare a few bucks, it would mean the absolute world to us! Funds leftover will be designated to a trustworthy local organization to further the relief efforts. If you can only give $5, imagine if 1,000 people give $5! I’d love to not have to guilt anyone into giving beyond their comfort zone, but how hard is it for anyone to spare $5? How much would you give if it was your extended family living in a tent trying to survive winter? How about your long distance significant other? Your college roommate? These people NEED our help, more than you can even imagine!
At the moment of writing this, we do not have exact dates set in stone, as we are still very much in the planning stages of this trip. There are a lot of moving parts to this, such as securing the location, log deliveries, and some assistance on the ground in the local area there.
We thank you in advance from the very bottom of our hearts and hope that you know how appreciated even the smallest donations will be!
God Bless you and God Bless America!
