Volunteers for the Western Carolina Emergency Network have stepped in to provide much-needed relief and fuel for victims still affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina this Thanksgiving.
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00:00Joining us right now is Rebecca Ross, Supply and Donation Volunteer Coordinator for the Western
00:05Carolina Emergency Network, to talk more on some of the work that they've been doing to keep people
00:09warm this Thanksgiving and into the winter season. Of course, we all know how lean had a huge impact
00:16on the state. How has Western Carolina Emergency Network been addressing the urgent need for so
00:23many in these affected areas? Yeah, first off, thank you for having me today. It's a real
00:28pleasure to be here. Western Carolina Emergency Network has partnered with multiple organizations
00:34to gather donations from food, water, fuel tanks, things like that. But as the weather
00:40has gotten more cold, we've focused all of our resources on fuel to keep people warm throughout
00:46the winter. So in the first week of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we started implementing fuel
00:52hubs across Western North Carolina. And by the second and third week, we realized this is a
00:56really big problem that people have. Fuel is a critical resource in the recovery efforts in
01:02North Carolina, and communities remain isolated by washed out roads, power outages, and things like
01:08that. So what started as a small response quickly bloomed into something very large. Our fuel
01:15coordinator Rhonda Jean mobilized drivers, many of them your average people, farmers, volunteer
01:21firefighters, locals who use their own trucks and equipment to transport fuel. And as of last week,
01:26we've donated 70,000 gallons of fuel back into the community. And what we heard a lot after
01:32Hurricane Helene, we saw the damages. People said we've never seen anything like this. We've never
01:36dealt with anything like this. So could you tell us a little bit more about some of the challenges
01:39your team has maybe faced in providing these kind of resources to homes?
01:43Absolutely. So I'd say there's two big challenges that we're facing right now. The first one is
01:48it's cold. Western North Carolina has many remote areas where people live. For example,
01:54some of our volunteers just last week were making deliveries in a very remote area, and they came
01:58across a woman who was 86 alone in her house. She lives on her own, and she's currently fighting
02:04cancer. She's very weak, and she hadn't reached out for anyone for help. So she can't lift the
02:10five-gallon jugs to refill her fuel generator, and we installed a hand bump and donated 55 gallons of
02:16gas for her home that'll last her throughout the winter and keep her warm until summer.
02:20But that's just one example, and more families are out there in remote areas and sometimes in
02:25accessible areas. And I'd say the other big challenge that we're running into is funding.
02:30Fuel is expensive. We estimate that one small town of around 700 people alone could require
02:37$300,000 worth of kerosene a month just to meet basic heating needs. Families could need $200 to
02:44$300 a week, which they can't afford because they haven't been able to work in a month or more.
02:50It's a basic need they shouldn't have to worry about, and that's where we step in.
02:54And what has been the response from those community members, volunteers that are trying to
02:58help each other? What is still so needed as you try to push towards these goals, especially with
03:04fundraising? Yeah, the outpouring from the community and the support from the community
03:10has been nothing short of incredible. Volunteers, again, from all walks of life have stepped up
03:16without hesitation to drive fuel, to create these systems, and help the hardest-hit areas.
03:23Every success in our recovery efforts has been due to the volunteers donating their time,
03:29their trucks, supplies, or tools. And some of our biggest donors, like Prime Fuels and Phoenix Pump,
03:34made delivering fuel to rural areas possible. Without them, it would have been impossible,
03:39and they've gone above and beyond during their donating their time, resources, and supplies.
03:46But if you go to our website, wcen.net, you can find a ways to give page. And whether it's a
03:52financial donation, a physical donation, or you want to volunteer your time to help, we accept
03:57the support, and 100% of proceeds go back into the community. Rebecca Ross, Supply and Donation
04:03Volunteer Coordinator for the Western Carolina Emergency Network. Thank you again so much for
04:08joining us, and appreciate all the hard work you and your team are doing, and we wish you
04:11a very happy Thanksgiving. Thank you, you as well.