10/03/2025
Our Story: The Beginning of Rapha Relief & Impact 828
It all began in a parking lot. One simple picture—me sitting there in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene—marked the start of Rapha Relief’s response. With no power and no internet, we leaned on faith and determination. Soon after, another image captured a milestone: the very first truckload of supplies arriving from Raleigh’s Catch the Fire Church.
Those early days were fueled by urgency, prayer, and the generosity of people who refused to look away from the devastation in Western North Carolina.
A few months into the work, I met four extraordinary women: Heather Michael, Amber Wiseman, Christinia Allen, and Jeanette Willis. Together, they became Impact 828. It started with one post and these amazing women—business owners, mothers, wives, and leaders—poured themselves into the mission. Seven days a week, they balanced families, jobs, and ministries while tirelessly delivering supplies and hope to those in need.
When the building they were using was going to be put on the market, threatening to end their efforts, we began to dream together. By then, Rapha had been working alongside these amazing women for nearly eight months.
Out of that moment of uncertainty came something stronger than any one of us could have imagined: a powerful partnership.
Impact 828 joined hands with Rapha Relief.
Now, united as one, we are committed to bringing hope, healing, and restoration to Western North Carolina. What began as a simple act in a parking lot has grown into a movement—neighbors helping neighbors, communities rising together, and lives being restored.