The 4-hour, 270-mile drive from Durham to Sylva has two acts. Act I, from Durham to our lunch and bathroom stop in Hickory, is fast-paced, heavily-trafficked, and goes through Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Statesville. The mountains come into view soon after Act II begins and quickly becomes a beautiful drive through the mountains.
Last Saturday, our trip to Sylva was largely the same two acts we’ve become accustomed to, but this time, Act II featured evidence of Hurricane Helene’s destruction almost immediately. I lost count of the downed trees on the sides of the road (that surely blocked I-40 in the immediate aftermath of the storm); exit ramps and properties near the highway were covered in dried mud; and structures we remembered from past drives were simply gone.
Richie and I took some time off work last week in order to help. We signed up to sort donations at the Sylva Distribution Hub, a warehouse full of food, clothing, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, and more. The items are being shipped off to individuals and nearby communities in need, but folks can also come in and essentially go shopping.
The hub had two staff members and there were another five or six people volunteering when we were there. While there was a TON to do, the vibe was casual and we were encouraged to take our time with our tasks and take breaks to eat the meal and snacks provided by local restaurants and community members. It was lovely, in spite of the sad reason we were there.
Helene’s devastation in western NC is going to take years to come back from and help will be needed for a long time. If you can give a few hours to a distribution hub, great. If not, here are some other ways to help now and later:
- Donate blood or platelets (Red Cross)
- Donate money (The North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund)
- Donate supplies (NC 211; this might be a bit outdated, but it’s still a great resource)
If you choose to donate supplies, note that in my experience at the Sylva distribution hub, only new, packaged items were accepted. The place had mountains of used clothing that were then donated to Goodwill to be sold.
