Community rallies as residents brace for winter after Helene’s devastation
“We have been staying at a motel in Black Mountain that FEMA let us have
By Kimberly King
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SWANNANOA, North Carolina (WLOS) — On the two-month anniversary of Helene’s wrath across the mountains, people in Swannanoa are coming together despite the uncertainty of basic needs.
On both Old US 70 and Highway 70 there are tracts of land with camper’s set-up. The campsite on Old US 70 also has people living in tents.
Holly Burns and her parents drove an hour to Swannanoa to bring supplies. They found a donation tent where Katie McMullen was taking supplies for families in need. McMullen has lived in Swannanoa for13 years
“My dad knew about Swannanoa being the hardest hit area,” said Burns. “He had brought bags here on Monday. It’s humbling and powerful to see the community coming together. You don’t see a lot of government activity this year.”
Burns was interested in hearing more about what people were doing and the effort to raise cash for hundreds of families in the area who’ve lost jobs, and homes.
“We do need money,” said Martine Van Velden, who lives in Swannanoa and ownsStonewall bakery. “And that’s why I’ve started to advertise for bringing in cash.”
Known as “the bread lady” Van Velden is actively coordinating multiple efforts through Facebook on Friends of Swannanoa, NC, Friends of Grovemont Park and Beacon Village Neighbors to respond to cash needs of families and supplies people need.
“They need help paying the rent. They need help making car payments,” Van Velden said.
Customers new and old who come to buy loaves of bread are donating their “dough.”
Van Velden also responds to skeptics online who can’t believe someone would take so much time to help others. Facebook posters verify Van Velden is the real deal – genuinely making a difference for desperate families in her community.
Along US Highway 70 there’s another park of campers where News 13 met 60-year-old Onva Terraine-Hensley.
“We have been staying at a motel in Black Mountain that FEMA let us have, until December 3rd,” said Terraine-Hensley who for the past two nights has slept in a donated camper.
Terraine-Hensley is worried about her safety and bringing her 81-year-old mother from the hotel to stay in the camper. The family’s home was flooded and is uninhabitable after Helene.
“After being here [in Swannanoa] two nights, someone tried to steal our generator. I don’t know what we’re going to do,” said Onva Terraine-Hensley.
The community ravaged by floodwaters still has vast amounts of debris along the highways and Swannanoa River.
A spokesman for the US Army Corp of Engineers said the process is underway to identify areas that can be verified as public lands. The Army Corp is also working on getting permissions from private property owners to start removing more debris from along the river.
As families who’ve lost homes and jobs face an uncertain future there are many in Swannanoa volunteering to help at Blunt Pretzels.
The owner ofBlunt Pretzels, Eddie Shoeffmann works quietly in the kitchen not asking for any “thank yous” but is clearly the driving force behind his restaurant’s work to feed those in need.
In Swannanoa more than 20 volunteers chopped and prepared food for a huge Thanksgiving meal on Thursday anticipating over 1,000 people.
Blunt Pretzel’s volunteer staff said non-profit Bounty and Soul has been their committed food partner post Helene and donated fresh foods including 34 turkeys for Thanksgiving.
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