HENDERSONVILLE — All Jeff Miller did was make a phone call. The community took it from there.
Distraught by the media footage of the flooding in Columbia, South Carolina, the Hendersonville city councilman called his colleagues in local government for help. By Monday, the community had gathered and delivered between 80,000 and 90,000 bottles of water to the disaster zone.
All over Western North Carolina, groups have come to the aid of their neighbors to the south.
From rescuing abandoned pets to bottling water like craft beer, local organizations are using their strengths to do what they can.
Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard is assisting flood victims by canning and shipping drinking water to the city.
The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Asheville and Buncombe County is collecting nonperishable food and drink items for people in need.
Christian humanitarian organizations Samaritan’s Purse in Boone and Hearts With Hands in Asheville have volunteers on the ground.
Even Brother Wolf Animal Rescue has been making trips to the disaster area.
“I felt very lucky that it wasn’t us that had been hit,” said Miller, who owns Miller’s Fine Dry Cleaning in Hendersonville. “If winds had blown a little bit different, it could have been here.
“I was down about seeing the challenges so many people are facing in Columbia; so many poor families have been devastated,” he said. “They have no insurance, no way of recuperating what they have lost, but to see us step up with something as simple and basic as water gives me that hope and faith that people are still looking out for each other.
“I think Western North Carolina always tends to shine when someone is in need.”
Earlier this month, hundreds of people were rescued from fast-moving floodwaters in Columbia, South Carolina, as days of driving rain hit a dangerous crescendo, destroying homes, buildings and roads and threatening the supply of drinking water in the state’s capital.
The powerful storm dumped more than a foot of rain overnight. People were trapped in cars. Others were plucked from rooftops by helicopters.
Hearts With Hands estimates that since the floodwaters hit, it has assisted close to 5,000 families in need. The organization is collecting and distributing food, water, baby supplies, hygiene items and cleaning products in Columbia to victims of the historic flood.
“It could have been us, and it was supposed to be us,” said Greg Lentz, founder of the local nonprofit. “A lot of that water was supposed to hit the Asheville area. If that would have been us in this scenario, we would want other cities and communities returning the favor. Now, we have to show our concern, compassion and love for them, to help them in their time of distress and disaster.”
GET INVOLVED
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue has taken in 55 animals already living at shelters in South Carolina so that state can make room for more strays as the floodwaters recede. The majority of the dogs and cats will head to shelters in the eastern part of the state, but some needing medical care and behavior rehabilitation will stay here. Monetary assistance and animal supplies are needed. Visit www.bwar.org or call 828-505-3440 for information.
Hearts With Hands has assisted some 5,000 families in Columbia, South Carolina, tending to their basic needs. Volunteer support and supply donations are needed. Items can be dropped off at Trinity Baptist Church, 216 Shelburne Road in Asheville. Visit www.heartswithhands.org or call 855-435-7494 to learn more.
The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Asheville and Buncombe County is collecting nonperishable food and drink items for people in need. Support Operation South Carolina by dropping off items at the Hill Street Baptist Church, 135 Hill St., between Oct. 15-23 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 828-254-4646 to learn more.
Since Samaritan’s Purse arrived in South Carolina, more than 570 volunteers have been onsite in Columbia, South Carolina, helping to provide cleanup and response effort to flood victims in the area. Samaritan’s Purse has received requests from 95 families for help. Support is needed. Visit www.samaritanspurse.org or call 828-262-1980 for information.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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