Please Support Rachel and Mike After Hurricane Helene

Update: Faith has put a request on social media as of November 4 that items needed include: wet cat food, gas cards, shelf-stable food, and contributions to this GoFundMe.

Hurricane Helene has had a horrible impact on many, many people, including my dear friends Rachel and Mike Walker. The Jonesborough/Cherokee National Forest KOA Journey campground near Erwin, Tennessee that they have owned for many years has been destroyed by the flood waters, a partial breach in a dam, and winds. Fortunately, Rachel and Mike, their family members, and work campers are all safe and no longer at the campground. Thank Goodness! But the first floor of the campground's main house is significantly damaged. They got to the second floor to try and save cats and see what was left, but then looters got there, too. A garage and workshop have collapsed. One car is gone, and another was found between two trees. They have found alive 3 of the 4 cats who were in the main house. If you know Rachel and Mike, you know that they care about pets very much, so this has been somewhat of a relief.

My name is Heather Moreland Tom, and I am a long-time friend of Rachel's. We grew up together here in Maryland. She was the Matron of Honor at my wedding in 1994, and we have visited with each other's families many times over the years. In the summer of 2023, Rachel and Mike, along with their adult daughters Faith and Sara, hosted us at the campground, which had options for glamping. Some of us stayed in the caboose, and some of us stayed in the cabin, both of which are now GONE, along with a small pavilion and other structures. We had such a fun time with the Walkers at the campground, in the lovely little town of Jonesborough, and in Johnson City. Now, I am sad for my friends and worried about their future. We have been told that insurance will not cover their losses.

Rachel and Mike have been married for over 30 years. Faith and Sara are both in college. If you know the Walker family, you know how much it means to them to make guests feel welcome and comfortable. It was a dream of Rachel and Mike's to own a campground together, and that dream has been swept away in the flood waters.

Funds raised will be collected by a family member, and will help in the recovery from the loss of their main livelihood. Help with everything from essentials like groceries, to personal effects, to equipment and materials for the massive clean-up, and college tuition and expenses is needed. Please help this amazing, hard-working family.