Aid to Remote Mtn Communities near Bakersville, NC

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS DONATED AND SHARED!

The response to this GoFundMe has been overwhelming, and your support is making a powerful impact in the rural and remote communities hit hardest by Hurricane Helene. These funds have laid the foundation for Rising Light Relief, a grassroots organization dedicated to delivering hot meals and essential supplies to the elderly, disabled, and others who cannot reach traditional relief stations.

Since October 12, we’ve been providing 60 to 180 hot meals nightly to those who are elderly, disabled, without transportation, or otherwise unable to access food or supplies. In many cases, these are the first freshly prepared meals people have had in days or weeks. But we’re providing more than just food; we’re restoring hope.

Through partnerships with groups like World Central Kitchen, Rise Disaster Relief, and local community leaders, we’re reaching some of the most vulnerable members of our community. When we bring meals, we often discover other urgent needs—anything from clean water to medical supplies to basic household items. As trust builds, people share what they need to survive or rebuild, and we respond with essential supplies or send volunteer teams to help with cleanup and reconstruction.

Our goal now is to sustain and expand these efforts. We’re focusing on both immediate relief and long-term recovery, ensuring continued access to supplies and support as these communities rebuild. Ongoing donations support our ability to provide meal deliveries, essential supplies, and specific projects for community recovery.

One of our first communities of focus after launching this GoFundMe was Toecane, Mitchell County—a once-bustling hub now home to just a few families. When the storm destroyed the bridge into the holler, cutting them off from basic resources, we used the initial funds to deliver supplies and over 100 gallons of gas. Since then, we’ve continued to support Toecane by delivering hot meals, and we are now working with local partners to restore their only community gathering space, the church.

Your donations have been crucial in meeting these needs. Our current focus areas include Bakersville, Green Mountain, Spruce Pine, Burnsville, Kona, Snow Creek, Toecane, Egypt, Ramseytown, and Higgins. Many of these small towns have been devastated, and some remote areas remain isolated. Your support is helping us get food, water, gas, medical supplies, and other essentials to these places.

Please consider continuing to support Rising Light Relief. Every donation, even $5, brings food, relief supplies, and hope to those who need it most. Let’s keep standing by these communities as they recover and rebuild. Together, we’re lighting a path to lasting community strength and resilience. Thank you for being part of this mission.