Support the Stewart Family After Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene Relief Fund For Sean and Grace Stewart

Thanks to all our beloved family and friends, we have been encouraged to accept donations for our loss, as well as, support our continued efforts to transport much needed supplies from Charlotte to Ashville. Your text, emails, and calls of concern have moved us to tears many times. As a relief organizer during Katrina and Rita, I can tell you this is exponentially worse and will take years for fundamental infrastructure to be replaced. While the news keeps focus on Ashville, it minimizes the overall scope of destruction. The reality is 250 miles of one small town after the other have sustained damage or have been completely washed off the earth. The towns of Marshall, Elk Park, Craigs Town and Fairview all completely gone just to name a few. The missing persons count is rising steadily and you all have seen the photos and videos.

As for Sean and I, the whole unprecedented catastrophe is surreal. I had emergency surgery on Tuesday, Sept. 24, woke to the storm, and a lot of our life washed away. By Sunday, Pardee hospital had no electricity, water, sewage or cell signal and only limited resources to provide care. I was advised by my doctor to evacuate for further care.

Sean, Salaah and two neighbors equipped with 2 vehicles, 1 electric truck that can go 400 miles, along with water, food, ammo, tools, chainsaws, etc., picked me up from the hospital and we carefully made our way past washed out non-existent roads all the way to Charlotte. Our cousin Kathy Stewart was kind enough to take me in, and has been my protector since. Kathy, you are a Goddess! Her generous neighbors had already donated a garage full of supplies so Sean and crew loaded up and took everything back to WNC to be distributed. They will continue to do this since Sean has to come check on me periodically.

We feel very blessed that we didn't lose our little mountain home. The crawl space flooded so the joist and flooring may need to be replaced and a huge tree crushed the garage and maybe my car. All things considered; we are lucky.

Many of you asked to help, thank you! We encourage everyone to contribute in any way you feel moved. While monetary donations to Sean and I are greatly appreciated and needed, we feel moved to only meet our needs and reserve the rest for transporting supplies to others in greater need than ourselves. Below, I provided a list of vetted organization that I personally know are “boots on the ground” services. Please feel free to consider these organizations also.

We love and cherish you all. There will never be enough thanks to express our gratitude to the out pouring of concern and support. Your generosity is beyond words!

All our love,

Grace, Sean and Bunny Stewart

“The storm that was sent to break you, is the storm that God sent to make you” - Jonah 1:4-6

1. Blue Ridge Public Radio - https://www.bpr.org/bpr-news/2024-09-28/list-ways-to-donate-and-he

2. World Central Kitchen - https://wck.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6oi4BhD1ARIs

3. Mercy Chefs- https://mercychefs.com/donate-helene-webghelene2024d/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6oi4BhD1A - (Grace volunteered during Katrina)

4. Brother Wolfe Animal Shelter - https://www.bwar.org/