Video recorded by FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray shows the unfathomable destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene decimated the region last week.
SWANNANOA, N.C. – Hearts with Hands has responded to disasters near and far since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but with Thanksgiving approaching, the nonprofit finds itself grateful it is able to serve its own community for nearly two months after Helene’s deadly flooding without slowing down.
Helene’s more than 30 inches of rainfall in parts of western North Carolina caused damage that has created a logistical nightmare for local, federal and nonprofit organizations trying to make everything feel like home again.
A lean family-led organization, Hearts with Hands Disaster Relief Director Greg Lentz said they’ve kept going after Helene with the help of hundreds of volunteers.
“Everything around us was flooded except us, and we’re on the highest point and plateau, probably in that Swannanoa area. The Lord blessed us. We were safe,” Lentz said. “That led us to immediately start helping people.”
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SWANNANOA, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 02: Emily Ogburn, right, hugs her friend Cody Klein after he brought her a meal on October 2, 2024 in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Ogburn’s home was spared and she spent the morning of the storm helping and comforting neighbors who had found shelter on a neighbors porch. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images) (Melissa Sue Gerrits)
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A member of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force searches a flood-damaged property with a search canine in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 4, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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An aerial view of vehicles passing flood damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 4, 2024 in Swannanoa, North Carolina. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 04: Members of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force search a flood damaged area with a search canine in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 4, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama)
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A rescue team paddles down the Swannanoa River on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (Travis Long/The News & Observer/Tribune News Service)
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024. ( )
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024. ( )
In the days after Helene’s historic flooding on Sept. 27, with the roads impassable, people would walk or bike to Hearts with Hands to get water, food boxes, hygiene kits and anything else they needed just to get by.
Almost two months after the storm, the warehouse on Warren Wilson Road is still open three days a week for people to get supplies. As the cold sets in for the winter, those supplies include blankets and jackets. Lentz estimates that about 100 people a day come in with needs.
HURRICANE HELENE STILL DISRUPTING SOME SHIPPING SERVICES AS HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES
Lentz’s daughter, Alyce Lentz, has been organizing hundreds of volunteers to help with the nonstop supply distribution.
“It’s a family effort and a team effort and everybody working together. And so, you know, we couldn’t do it without everybody just understanding. Everybody’s taxed, everybody’s tired, everybody’s exhausted, and everybody’s given their all doing everything they can.”
Greg Lentz, center, and his wife (right) and daughter (left) are the heart and soul of Hearts with Hands.
With the distribution center ongoing, Hearts with Hands opened its mobile kitchen to feed the thousands of emergency workers. As of two weeks ago, Lentz said the nonprofit has provided 60,000 meals.
Hearts with Hands is also working to provide home goods and essentials for about 550 families moving into temporary FEMA housing, making sure their homes have everything they need to move in.
Between the mobile kitchen and other efforts, there can be 20 hours of nonstop logistics. Lentz said that when he has had a few days to take a break, he mostly sleeps.
After the past two months, offering a Thanksgiving meal to up to 5,000 people almost seems like a small accomplishment for the nonprofit compared to what’s come before and what needs to happen next for western North Carolina.
It’s a lot of logistics responding to a disaster, but it’s personal for the Lentz family.
“The opportunity just to help our community and our people is just the rewarding part, is knowing that you’re making an impact, and you’re making a dent in a bad situation,” Lentz said. “When I begin to think about this, begin to contemplate how can we pull this off? How can we make this happen, and how can we do this for our community? And then to see it all come together, you know, and we’re close now to that day coming to fruition, and seeing that is just rewarding in itself.”
On Nov. 26, the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office will be there to cook turkeys donated by Butterball, and more than a hundred Hearts with Hands volunteers will provide a warm meal to thousands. In addition to a Thanksgiving dinner, blankets and other winter supplies will be available on Wednesday.
Lentz said it’s not just about getting people through what will be a very long line on Wednesday, but also about letting them know people care.
“My goal is to have a personal touch with every family, every car that comes through that you can at least say, hey, we’re praying for you, anything you need, we’re here to help,” Lentz said.
However, the hardest part is ahead for whole neighborhoods in Buncombe County that still need major repairs or rebuilds. Lentz is already planning for the next phase, bringing in crews from all over the country who are willing to give their time to start rebuilding.
If you want to volunteer or donate, visit the Hearts with Hands website here. Due to the outpouring of support, donation drop-offs are by appointment only.