Dozens of Helene survivors and their families will have a warm place to lie their heads over the holidays thanks to the generosity of others and Operation Helo.
BURNSVILLE, N.C. – As winter weather sets in, many people left homeless by Hurricane Helene have had to endure the bitter cold in tents and vehicles. But due to the generosity of one charity, they are finding warmth and comfort from the wintry elements.
Operation Helo, a charity formed in western North Carolina after Helene, is on their way to providing free RVs to more than 160 families who were displaced by the storm.
Campers provided by Operation Helo.
(Kade Robinson / FOX Weather)
One of the recipients of a camper was Sharon Trcka, whose home in Burnsville was flooded by Helene, causing her to leave North Carolina and stay with family in Tennessee.
Operation Helo brought a camper to Trcka’s Burnsville property, giving her a chance to return home. The help they provided was a humbling experience for Trcka.
“I was a nurse for 40 years. I was used to giving help, not asking for it,” she said to FOX News Multimedia Reporter Chelsea Torres.
Sharon Trcka.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
The RVs, like the one gifted to Trcka, were purchased using donations to Operation Helo. In the town of Burnsville, RVs were given to families that were vetted by the local volunteer fire department.
“Campers fall under Department of Transportation rules,” said Matt McSwain of Operation Helo. “You can put them anywhere, so we can physically take them and put them on somebody’s property that is a flood plain and they can have immediate shelter. There’s no strings attached, no red tape.”
The help comes as some families are still paying mortgages on homes they lost to Helene, as banks are not forgiving those mortgages.
A pick-up truck is seen in a muddy stream in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Burnsville, North Carolina, on October 5, 2024.
(Allison Joyce / AFP / Getty Images)
Torres noted that, at this point, many residents in western North Carolina are hoping to rebuild what they once had. However, they acknowledge that the process will take plenty of time and money, which many of them do not have.