When will distribution centers be set up?

ASHEVILLE – While Buncombe County had not yet set up relief distribution stations following the historic flooding caused by Tropical Storm Helene, one nonprofit had taken matters into its own hands and asked another national nonprofit to provide aid.

The Asheville Dream Center brought supplies to the Asheville Mall on September 29, becoming what is believed to be the first mass relief distribution site in the city. The nonprofit is the local arm of the nonprofit national outreach ministry Dream Center. The nonprofit Global Empowerment Mission was the first to answer its call to distribute supplies in the city, said Michelle Coleman, executive director of the Asheville Dream Center.

“We just got them here, but we will have more of their trucks,” Michelle Coleman said, noting they had been told FEMA would be “coming out tomorrow” to provide assistance.

Asheville Dream Center CEO Matthew Coleman said two trucks arrived in Asheville on Sept. 29 to help. The first was full of a variety of resources such as food, paper towels, cleaning supplies, tarps and pet food. The next truck, expected around 5:30 p.m. on September 29, was for one resource only: water. It’s expected to be the most important resource residents need as the city of Asheville tries to get its water system back online.

The campaign brought together volunteers from across the community. People of all ages, including children who had made a game of playing basketball with an empty cardboard box, were out helping distribute supplies to a line of cars long enough to stretch from the parking lot stretched to Tunnel Road, where drivers parked on the typically busy residential street.

More: The sheriff says the death toll in Helene, Buncombe County, rises to 30

More: Asheville was isolated by flooding. The latest in power, cells and more

UNC Asheville teacher Casey Watkins was one of the first volunteers to help, unloading the lone white tractor-trailer full of community supplies.

The university also faced flooding, which led to cancellations and significant damage to university buildings. Watkins said the building containing her office was “fine,” but a tree fell on the roof. Although the university has announced it will be closed until Oct. 9, it is unclear when students will be fully back in classrooms, she said.

Watkins, a Wilmington native, said she lost power for two weeks due to hurricanes. However, she had never lost water over this period. She currently lives in Haw Creek and said the neighborhood has suffered from downed trees and flooding, with some areas of the neighborhood “not even passable” due to downed trees.

“We really don’t know how long the water will stay out,” Michelle Coleman said. “I’ve walked the line here and talked to so many people and they’re scared for how long. Is it two weeks? Is it more than a month?”

I watched the community come together here. “It encourages each other and creates hope,” Michelle Coleman said. “We need this now.”

As a result, fear is spreading among residents

Debbie Adrian accompanied her daughter and grandson as they volunteered at the distribution site. Adrian said they drove away from the Cloister Condominiums in East Asheville, where they saw the water rising quickly and flooding the self-storage area where they were storing personal items.

Because the main route to the Cloisters, Swannanoa River Road, was damaged and blocked by mud, they could only get out via a small, rudimentary mud path constructed between the Beverly Hills neighborhood and the Cloisters. As they escaped, they recalled joining others at the Tunnel Road Chili’s to get cell service, which is common since few places in the city have consistent cell or Wi-Fi coverage.

“I don’t know when they’re going to open the cloisters,” Adrian said. “The mud just has to be gone.”

Derek Faria and Lori Kent got in line early and waited 40 minutes for supplies to be distributed. Their worries turned to what the future would look like if they could “run out of everything” – from food to water. Kent, a local barber, was worried about not only having the resources but also having a job to return to.

Where to go, what you should know

The Asheville Dream Center is continually updating its social media distribution sites, Michelle Coleman told Citizen Times. She encouraged any interested residents to reach out via social media or check for live updates.

On their Instagram, the organization announced that with the help of the Global Empowerment Mission, they would be back at the Asheville Mall on South Tunnel Road at 12:30 p.m. on September 30 to distribute food and water. They asked for volunteers to meet them there at 11:30 a.m

More: The full extent of Helene’s devastation is unclear as reconstruction is underway: ‘Our hearts are broken’

Will Hofmann is a growth and development reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Do you have a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to Citizen Timit.

When will distribution centers be set up?

ByJasper

As a result, fear is spreading among residents

Where to go, what you should know

By Jasper

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