A Clifton, Virginia, family has put their lives on hold to help victims of Hurricane Helene.
After Helene blew through two weeks ago, Jeff Green couldn’t get ahold of his son, who lived in Asheville, North Carolina.
“So, I immediately packed up my truck with chain saws and water and supplies and headed to Asheville,” Green said.
Because of the devastation, the usual eight-hour drive took over 17 hours.
“Thousands of trees down, power out — it didn’t look like a place that I even recognized anymore,” Green said. “It just looked like a war zone. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
He found his son, who was OK, and then started distributing the supplies he’d brought. But he realized this was not your normal disaster and much more help was needed.
Since then, Green, his wife and his brother-in-law have focused on helping those who have been affected by the hurricane’s impact.
They have gathered supplies and made four trips to the area. The trips have been funded and stocked by his family and the aid of the 239-person community of Clifton.
“People in Clifton have just blown us away with the amount of support with donations, with money, with help. It’s been unbelievable,” Green said.
Over the past two weeks, he has seen some improvement in Asheville.
“They’re getting some of the infrastructure back. They’ve had thousands of linemen from all over the country, even Canada, and they’ve done an amazing job,” Green said.
While that’s in Asheville, the outlying areas are still struggling.
“The smaller towns like Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Old Fort Marion, Spruce Pine, they’re just trying to dig people’s houses out and put things back together,” Green said.
Adding insult to injury, winter is already creeping into the mountains, with some snow in recent days. So, Green is planning another supply trip, this time focusing on things to protect people who have lost their homes and belongings from the cold.
“We have families that are probably going to be living in tents, and it’s hard to even grasp all the things they need for that. But the immediate need is getting people a warm, safe place to stay,” Green said. “There’s a definite need for propane heaters, propane tanks, tents, new warm clothing (and) sleeping bags.”
Want to help? Here’s where you can donate for Green’s next trip:
- Total Framing: 3775 Pickett Road, Fairfax, Virginia (adjacent to the Fairfax Ice Arena). Business hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Total Framing: 14512 Lee Road Units LMN, Chantilly, Virginia (across from the Chantilly Costco). Business hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Main Street Pub: 7140 Main St., Clifton, Virginia. Business hours are Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Green is planning to load up for his next run on Oct. 26.
If you have time and a penchant for hard work, Green said there is a definite need for hands-on help in the impacted areas, aiding residents trying to dig through the rubble of their homes and recover any of their possessions that may be left.
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