Help Us Equip Asheville Heroes: Backpacks for Rescuers & Displaced Families

By The Irving Family of Asheville, North Carolina

Hurricane Helene has devastated Asheville and its surrounding areas. Thousands are now without power, clean water, food, communication, or healthcare. Many are isolated, with limited access to basic necessities.

In partnership with local heroes, like Beloved Asheville and My Daddy Taught Me, we’re working to equip on-foot volunteer teams delivering life-saving essentials to people in isolated, high-risk areas. These volunteers are ready to go into hard-to-reach places, but many need specialized equipment to carry supplies over miles of rugged terrain.

We urgently need durable, framed hiking backpacks to support these volunteer as they bring critical water, food, and medical supplies to those cut off by the storm. Your donation will directly equip these heroes to reach more people in need. Every donation counts toward saving lives, keeping hope alive, and rebuilding our community.

Additionally, hundreds of displaced individuals, many of whom have lost their homes, need large backpacks to carry what remains of their belongings as they move between temporary shelters. With your help, we can provide these backpacks and give people a way to hold on to the few things they have left.

Every dollar beyond the cost of backpacks will go toward additional urgent needs, like food, water, and basic hygiene supplies for families in desperate need.

About Us

Fortunately, our home suffered minimal damage, our power is restored, and we have drinking water. We feel so grateful to be able to focus our energy on helping others in these truly vulnerable situations.

We’re volunteering daily to coordinate needs across multiple local organizations, deliver supplies, source items, and assist with logistics. We’re also working with organizations outside of Asheville to ensure that large donations reach the areas of our community that need them most.

Due to road closures and complex supply chain logistics, financial contributions are currently the most effective way to help. Your support allows us to buy in bulk, centralize shipments, and streamline the distribution of these essential items to the people who need them most.

Thank you for your compassion, love, and generosity. Together, we can lift up our community, one backpack at a time, bringing hope and relief to those who need it most.

Your support means the world to us.