In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in North Carolina, neighbors unite to ensure no one spends Thanksgiving hungry

By Alaa Elassar, CNN

(CNN) — For weeks, David Burke couldn’t shake the haunting images of small mountain communities in western North Carolina unexpectedly pummeled by a historic storm.

He felt their suffering as if it were his own. Even though he was 300 miles away, he couldn’t bear the thought of watching his home being swallowed by floodwaters, losing friends or family to a sudden disaster, or spending Thanksgiving alone, staring at an empty table that should have been surrounded by loved ones.

So the 59-year-old father of two quietly devised a plan.

He would make the six-hour drive down from Seaboard in northeastern North Carolina, where he lives, to Avery County with his family, a few friends and enough supplies to cook 1,000 meals they could distribute to people in need.

Then, his community got wind of the idea.

What was originally planned to be 1,000 meals turned into 5,000 and rather than carrying out his mission alone, Burke now has an army of more than 200 volunteers following him to Newland, to help feed victims of the storm who will not be able to have their own Thanksgiving celebration this year.

“You would be amazed at just how many people have shown up here to come help this little old guy when all he really wanted to do was go out there and cook 1,000 meals and come home and nobody would ever know a thing about it,” Burke told CNN. “The experience has already has changed me, there’s no question about it. It confirms for me any doubts I ever had in my own faith.”

Bringing relief, one plate at a time

After Helene roared across the state, causing historic flooding, downing trees, snapping power lines, decimating water infrastructure and leading to the deaths of at least 42 people in Buncombe County alone, small towns and their neighbors in the countryside are still shaking off the shock of a storm they never thought could touch these mountains.

Helene hit western North Carolina as a tropical storm on September 27, dumping so much water over the southern Appalachians in three days, it became a catastrophic, once-in-1,000-year rainfall event for the region, the National Weather Service said. Many residents did not have power or clean water for up to seven weeks.

At a Sunday service just two days after the hurricane, Burke heard a sermon about community service. Moved by the message, the experienced cook resolved to bring a Thanksgiving miracle to some of the hardest-hit areas.

He would put together a feast of turkeys and hams, served alongside southern Thanksgiving classics like stew, collard greens, potatoes, dressing, cornbread and an assortment of homemade desserts.

Every plate would be filled to the brim, he decided.

“I’ve seen the devastation these people have been faced with. We know that there are people still living in tents and trying to stay warm. People don’t have anything. Some people had their homes being washed away in the river, and then there’s so many people still missing in certain places,” Burke said. “What do you do about that? All we can do is go out there and do what we know to do and try to help people as much as we can.”

The next day, as he scrolled through Facebook, he came across posts from fellow community members who were also interested in supporting the victims. Slowly, their efforts joined into one, and Operation Thanksgiving Blessings was born.

Every Sunday afternoon, they would meet and plan the next steps, including fundraising and collecting donated necessities like winter clothing, baby items, toiletries, first aid kits, and children’s toys, which are still being delivered to the victims.

The volunteers are neighbors from across eastern North Carolina, and more than $3,000 has been donated to the effort by supporters from all over the country.

“I have a better perspective that there is still good in the world, and that giving back is even more important than ever,” Angie Wade Acree, one of the organizers of Operation Thanksgiving Blessings, told CNN.

“Our hope and prayer is that people with will read the story and realize that they can step up and help people in their own community, and that it takes starting with your neighbors to help each other.”

Volunteers began driving trucks full of food and supplies on Saturday to Cranberry Middle School in Newland, one of the most severely damaged areas, where they will begin preparations for Thanksgiving and will be cooking all throughout the night on Wednesday. Anyone who wants a meal will be able to come by the school to pick up food, and volunteers will be delivering meals to nursing homes and families who are unable to travel.

When Burke tries to speak about the emotional effect of the initiative, his voice trembles.

“I can’t talk to you much about that,” he said, trying to hold back tears. “I have seen a community of people come together for a common goal, just because they wanted to be a part of what we were doing, and that has just been overwhelming to me.”

Locals help take care of their own

While support continues to come from beyond the mountains of western North Carolina, help is also happening close to home, as neighbors help neighbors get back on their feet.

In Asheville, North Carolina, local restaurants and nonprofits are banding together, ensuring everyone has a meal and a place to be on Thanksgiving.

Asheville was especially hard-hit by the storm. Many took refuge on roofs, even as some collapsed into the floodwaters. Roads and bridges crumbled. Helene turned their beloved city into a mess of sludge, floating debris and toppled vehicles. Officials described it as “biblical devastation.”

“The emotions are all over the place,” Ben Williamson, executive director of the Asheville Poverty Initiative, said. “We’re thoroughly exhausted and shocked still. At times, you feel defeated and devastated and sad, because just moving around the county every day, you’re just constantly reminded of the scale of the devastation.”

The Asheville Poverty Initiative distributes about 12,000 pounds of food a month through its community café in the form of hot lunches and groceries. In addition to donating turkeys to families, the initiative hosts a sit-down dinner every Thanksgiving, which is anticipated to be particularly busy this year due to the increased need following the storm.

“We’re not going to make it through Helene’s recovery, and I don’t think we’re going to make it as a country moving forward, if we’re not connected,” Williamson said. “Each meal that we have at the café, and especially on Thanksgiving, the goal is to become more connected, to be a little bit closer as humans to each other.”

Some restaurants in the area, such as the Blue Mountain Pizza and Brewery, are also hosting a free annual Thanksgiving dinner for anyone who doesn’t have a place to go for the holiday.

In previous years, about 400 people would show up. This year, they anticipate the number will double.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the destruction in our area, but the one bright light in all this is just seeing how well the community has come together,” Blue Mountain Pizza and Brewery co-owner Stephen Hartsell said. “With technology, you usually talk to people on the phone or through emails, but the face to face aspect of just seeing your neighbors and bringing everybody together has been incredible.”

Before the storm, more than 30,000 people in Buncombe County were already struggling with food insecurity, according to Williamson, and Helene has only worsened an already challenging situation. Asheville also has the highest cost of living and the lowest wages on average in North Carolina, he said.

While the outpouring of love and support from both local neighbors and strangers like David Burke from hundreds of miles away has given a renewed sense of hope, there is also a lingering fear they may be forgotten.

“As relief organizations start to peel off and leave, I think we will have an emerging crisis of poverty and food insecurity and homelessness that is on the horizon,” Williamson said. “The struggle to find basic needs and resources and housing and restrooms and water is something that’s normal for a lot of the folks that we spend our days with.”

“The emergency of poverty existed long before Helene and will be here long after.”

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