10/04/2025
It's Been awhile folks!!!
A year ago this week, 4 Skooks met at the Washington Hotel, all with one mission in mind. Help those in need in WNC following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Brandon, owner of Washington Hotel, had an idea to provide meals to anyone down there who was in need. With the inspiration and support of his wife, he started that ball rolling. I was in the process of doing a collection for anything that was requested by those in need. Little did we know, scribbling on old ceiling tiles would turn into an overwhelming show of support. The folks of Schuylkill and surrounding Counties came out in force. Well over $100,000 was collected just in the GoFundMe alone. Once you add in all the tractor trailers of supplies, donations, in-kind contributions, some of the kitchen equipment that was donated, a U-Haul full of portable heaters and propane, a huge U-Haul filled with Christmas presents that Santa delivered to daycares across WNC and 8 campers that we were able to deliver to families in need, the total amount of donations from this effort to those in WNC was well over $1,000,000. We cant forget in-kind donations such as shipping costs and materials, warehousing space, and food donations which helped Brandon and his crew serve well over 10,000 meals in the initial visit. I have been back to the area 9x since the initial visit and its great to see the resiliency and determination of those impacted by the storm. Every visit has shown progress, although it may seem slow, it is progress nonetheless.
At the end of the mission we still had a few dollars left after paying all outstanding bills, the “Core Four” decided to donate the remaining funds to non profits that we were lucky enough to meet and interact with on previous trips. A few weeks ago I traveled to WNC with Ge Schaeffer and met with several non profits and we were blessed by the Swannanoa Fire Co to use their hall for a small dinner and check presentation. We were able to prepare and serve a meal consisting of Kowalenek’s Kielbasa, Mrs Ts Pierogies, Smoked products and Pulled Pork from T&E Crafts and Creations, and Koch’s Smoked Turkey.
The following non profits received donations for their efforts and continuing to help their neighbors:
River Arts District Artists, Asheville $3,250
Swannanoa Fire & Rescue $3,250
Precision Grading $3,250
BeLoved Asheville $3,000
Heart of North Cove $3,000
River Arts District was devastated by the storm. Many artists lost all of their work and spaces. We had the pleasure of meeting Phil DeAngelo, who had a studio in the RAD. He shifted his building into a place to grab a meal during the early days following the storm. Lots of great artists and business owners in the RAD.
The Swannanoa Fire Co has been nothing short of amazing. Hearing the details right from the Chief a few weeks ago as he replayed the moments leading up to and for days/weeks after the storm, was simply chilling. These men an women worked around the clock for weeks. We appreciate the hospitality of the Fire Co as well for the meal and check presentation. They also provided us with shirts and challenge coins for our efforts to help their neighbors in need.
Precision Grading and Disaster is an amazing business and something you do not see often. Jake Jarvis is the owner and when the storm hit, he was in the area before the dust settled with his equipment and crew to help those in need. He has worked strictly off of donations and has been able to keep a crew working for nearly 400 days right now. Check out his FB page to learn more of what he has been doing. Building bridges, redoing driveways, retaining walls, foundations, and walkways have been his daily grind which he usually work 10-12 hrs a day since day 1.
BeLoved Asheville is a group who have been instrumental in helping those in need in the area. They also have been very active in assisting folks with housing and tiny houses. They connect those in need with the resources they are seeking.
Heart of the North Cove is a non profit who assists those in need in the North Cove area of WNC. On the initial trip, I made the trek to Catawba Lodge to deliver meals daily to them. Melanie (owner) quickly transitioned her lodge into a hub for those in need and served meals daily at no cost to those in need. The location is quite a bit away from Downtown Asheville and it was a true challenge to drive there in a UHaul to deliver meals with no power in the area and roads washed out, but we made it so we could deliver supplies and food as often as possible. I returned on every trip to visit Melanie and Riley and we delivered a truckload of blankets, probable heaters, a water filtration system, tons of toys for their Christmas program and much more. A small business owner opening her doors for anyone in need, truly selfless acts by this family. They continue to help those in need daily and still offer meals on occasion.
Again, we want to thank you all for making this mission possible and for those who helped in any way whether you donated, sorted, loaded trucks, were a drop off site, went along on the first trip or simply shared our GoFundMe. This is a trip no one will forget and we all continue to keep those in WNC in our thoughts and prayers as they continue to rebuild over a year later.
Thank you!
Jeffrey Dunkel
