10/14/2024
Good afternoon:
I seldom, if ever post on Linked In, Facebook, or Instagram but these are unusual times.
As you know, Western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene on September 27th following 20 inches of rain the weeks prior to her arrival. She dumped 14 more inches of rain in Asheville and as much as 30 inches in outlying mountain regions. As a category 4 hurricane, she had wind gusts as high as 60 miles an hour winds.
Observations like "apocalyptic" and "flooding of biblical proportions" don't adequately describe the ruination and the loss of many more lives than can be reported currently. The destruction of property accompanied by the uprooting of people and the abrupt end of what was normalcy for this region will bring challenges for us all. Towns and communities that have been here for hundreds of years no longer exist.
All our employees at Inform Systems Data Documents, Inc. have been fortunate. We have had some damage to homes and the inconvenience of no electricity, water or communication in our homes. Our office is fully operational with no damage other than lack of potable water for drinking. Many of our customers have not been so lucky. Baxter, who supplies 60 percent of the IV fluids for the US market has been sidelined and is in cleanup mode. We have other customers who have lost their facilities and all assets their respective sites contained and their employees have nowhere to return to work.
All of this being said - Western North Carolinians are resilient - most all of us are already working together with very limited federal help to cleanup and rebuild our region. We have seen power trucks arrive from as far as New Brunswick, Canada, and the West Coast to help restore electricity. Our water system is being restored, although it may be months before all areas have drinkable water. Our neighboring citizens are sending food and drinkable water and we are seeing a kinship we have not seen at any time during this election year. We will restore our region but our hearts and psyches will never be the same. We are beginning a totally "new normal".
Many of you ask - what can I do?
Most importantly you can pray that God gives us the wisdom and the wherewithal to use the provisions that come in wisely, to locate, identify, and bury those loved ones who unfortunately did not survive Helene, and to support their families as they and we grieve our losses. Pray that we rebuild our lives and our businesses and that we find gratitude for what is taking place before our very eyes as help arrives from every corner of our nation from people we do not know!
Also, you can contribute.
I have taken it upon myself to mention two non-profits with very low administrative overhead that can touch those, not only in Asheville, but in surrounding counties. Your donations will, no doubt, be a blessing to those in need.
The first is Manna Food Bank.
Their operation on the Swannanoa River was destroyed and they immediately moved to the Western NC Farmers Market to serve the food insecure in more than a dozen counties.
They are part of the Feeding America network and are wonderful people.
Their website is www.mannafoodbank.org
You can donate through mannafoodbank.org/how-you-can-help/donate/ or [email protected] or by mailing a check to:
Manna Food Bank
527 Swannanoa River Road
Asheville, NC 28805
The second is ABCCM
They have numerous ministries but their Veterans Restoration Quarters, where homeless veterans are housed, trained and reintroduced to productive lives in society was totally destroyed.
We will need help in rebuilding this marvelous ministry.
ABCCMs website is abccm.org.
Please consider donations to these two ministries and let them know Inform Systems Data Documents, Inc. referred you if you need.
We appreciate your prayers and donations and for caring!
-Russ Truluck
Volunteer opportunities are now available at two locations. For safety purposes, we ask volunteers to please sign up online rather than arriving at either location without registering first.
