After the Hurricane Helene, which hit the Asheville, WNC, area in September 2024, the Redfern Hemp Team felt compelled to do something to help the relief effort. We sent the call out to our customer base and partners and they came through in a big way. A big shout out to James Peacemaker and Tamara Herndon for their big commitments towards this initiative.
The video below documents our trek down to Barnardsville Church of God, where we met our contact Melanie. From jackets, to non-pershables, blankets, toothbrushes and medical supplies – everything in the back of Graham’s truck went to support this Church’s effort.
After speaking with the Church’s pastor, we got more specific demands. We plan on making another trip to WNC either at the end of January or early February. Below the video is a list of the pastor’s requests. We appreciate your support!
Immediate Needs:
- Buddy Heaters
- Small Propane Tanks
- Canned Foods
- Non-perishable Foods
- Sleeping Bags
- Blankets
- Warm Weather Clothes
Redfern Market is the Primary Donation Drop-Off Location: 22403 Rogers Clark Blvd, Ruther Glen, VA 22546
A Conversation with Barnardsville Church of God’s Pastor
After dropping off our initial donation to Banardsville Church of God, we had a conversation with the primary man in charge: Pastor Daniel Reid. Below is an abbreviated and edited version of our conversation. Thank you Pastor, and your congregation, for your unyielding supports of all those that need it!
Pastor Daniel Reid, “When the Storm Hit’
When Hurricane Helene hit, the church initially opened its fellowship hall as a shelter, setting up cots for those who lost their homes. Despite advertising the availability, few people used the shelter, likely due to a two-week power outage. After the rain stopped, the cots were removed, but a chance encounter with someone offering supplies led to a shift in the church’s role. Because of its visible location on the main highway in Barnardsville, the church became a central distribution point for aid. While other larger churches could have potentially provided more extensive support, the church’s accessible location made it the primary hub for relief efforts.
Winter is Coming
Buncombe County residents are facing worsening conditions this winter due to a slow and unclear permitting process for temporary housing solutions like tiny homes, sheds with temporary power, and even temporary RV power poles. After more than 70 days, the county has made little progress, leaving people in a precarious situation as temperatures drop into the 20s. While the number of people living in tents has decreased, some still remain. One organization is providing donated travel trailers to people for $1, allowing them to “dry camp” with generators and propane heaters on available land as they try to recover.
WNC’s Homeless Children Crisis
Western North Carolina experienced once-in-a-lifetime flood, possibly the worst in a century, which exacerbated existing problems, particularly youth homelessness. Local high schools have a substantial number of homeless students; one school alone had around 20, and the county likely has hundreds. School officials, due to political constraints, are limited in how they can directly address the issue, resulting in informal arrangements like bus drivers leaving bus doors open overnight or students sleeping in cars in the Walmart parking lot with the manager’s permission.
Other students rely on temporary housing with friends. A school social worker advised that the most effective way to help is through Visa gift cards, allowing students to purchase whatever they need, along with vouchers for Goodwill and gift cards for Ingles grocery store for food, medicine, and gas. The church recently donated $2,100 in gift cards to the school and is seeking further donations, prioritizing buddy heaters, small propane bottles, and support for these homeless high school students.
Prayer and Action Needed
The speaker emphasizes two main points: prayer and action. First, they ask for prayers for all the volunteers involved in relief efforts, as they are working long hours and are becoming tired and weary. Second, they urge people to take action in any way they can, even if it’s a small donation or joining existing efforts. Daniel Reid stresses the importance of coordinated action rather than many individual, scattered efforts. The speaker describes seeing people still living in tents and campers, struggling with basic needs like warmth.
The immediate goal is to help people get through the winter until spring, when they hope to facilitate the installation of temporary power poles for campers (costing around $150 each) once permits are approved. Lastly, Pastor Daniel Reid asks for prayers for wisdom in their decision-making.