Asheville & Waynesville Hurricane Relief!

Hello friends and community!

My name is Gracie and I’m originally from the rural Appalachian mountains, I was born there and raised for my formative years. Asheville and Waynesville, the towns I called home for many years were destroyed by Hurricane Helene. The place where I chased butterflies in my front yard and picked apples from a friends apple orchard as a kid, it’s gone. Flooded and blocked off from the world, most of the valley is inaccessible due to flooding. People are quite literally trapped in their homes.

Rural Appalachian communities had little to no warning about Hurricane Helene because of WNC officials not taking action sooner. There are families and friends of mine who have been affected by the flooding, even a few who were stuck on their roofs. The rural mountain communities were devastated and destroyed, they were not prepared for this natural disaster. Many people I know and love have lost everything, my heart is breaking.

A day or so ago, I finally got in contact with family down there. They are safe and helping others now, which is why I am writing this. My hometown was destroyed. Western North Carolina is gone, washed away in flash flooding. In Minnesota, we are safe and sound from this disaster. However, I know the extent of damage goes far beyond these areas and to the people who have family impacted.

As of now, I’m collecting supplies and donations to bring down to my home town- Asheville and Waynesville North Carolina. My first trip to North Carolina is October 17th to 22nd, the next trip will possibly be during November.

I am creating this GoFundMe to support the transportation of these items as well as purchasing more supplies. I cannot do this alone. It takes a village and community to support each other, especially in times of need. I have been overwhelmed with the amount of love and encouragement for this drive so far, thank you so much.

Currently, I am searching for a box truck or trailer to transport these supplies. I was not expecting my small little fundraiser to blow up as much as it has in the last 24 hours. If anyone has any leads, please let me know. It is much appreciated! ❤️

Back to business, here is the supplies and resource list.

UPDATED SUPPLY LIST

(I am collaborating with Dellwood Baptist Church and Haywood Christian Ministries for the supply drop off, the updated list can be found below. This will continue to be updated as more needs come to light.)

- Diapers

- Wipes

- Baby food

- Baby Formula

- Pull ups

- Tote Bags

- Trash Bags

- Paper towels

- T-paper

- Cleaning Supplies

- Buckets (like mop buckets)

- Flashlights

- Batteries

- Wash Cloths

- Soap and shampoo/conditioner

- Tooth brush and paste

- Sanitizer

- Deodorant

- Non-perishable foods

- Water bottles

- Snacks: Peanut Butter, Crackers, Saltines, Raisins, Beef sticks, Trail mix, Granola Bars, Gatorade, and Chips (Single serve bags).

- Blankets

- Clothes (Baby, Toddlers, Children, Men, and Women)

- First Aid Kits

- Stuffed animals for the children

- Heavy duty gloves

- Basic Medications like ibuprofen

- Feminine products

- Socks & Undergarments (New and unopened)

- Rain gear

Please contact me if you’d like to help with this resource and supply organization. I will use all the help available, anything is helpful. Donations are appreciated and welcomed, anything to help get these supplies where they need to go.

These contributions will go directly towards purchasing more supplies and funding better (and larger) transportation as well as gas. Anything left over will be given to Haywood Christian Ministries and Dellwood Baptist Church.

Thank you so much,

Gracie Salvaggio - a girl from Appalachia who wants to help her home.