Fill Ian's Truck with Supplies for Asheville Recovery

Please help me fill my truck with donations to help Asheville NC after Hurricane Helene. I'm driving there November 3 for several weeks of volunteer work, and it seems downright silly to go without loading up my truck with needed supplies. The needs are changing daily, so I'm going to buy as much as I can from the most current needs lists right before I leave. I'm paying up front and am hoping you'll donate to help me with that bill. If your donations go over what I've spent, (which would be awesome) I'll use the extra to help fulfil needs while I'm there. (I'll be there until about Thanksgiving. If I don't get home for Thanksgiving, Mom will kill me :D ) Anything extra-extra above that will go to the local aid groups I'll meet down there.

This trip will be much sooner after the disaster than my previous volunteer gigs. Which is a bit scary. Most aid organizations that I've worked with before aren't putting volunteers on the ground yet. But I know some great people who live in Asheville. And they are working with grassroots groups right now, and I'm going to join them! Monique (from Whytestone days) is providing a place to stay and assures me that food is available, so I won't be draining resources victims need. Volunteers are organizing daily at Firestorm - the local anarchist's bookstore - so I expect to be very busy and get a lot of good stories!

I'll take notes on what I bring and, if the internet tubes are accessible, will give regular updates. Right now, the list looks like: Propane heaters, can openers, detergent & dish soap, OTC allergy medicine and ibuprofen, blankets, brooms, mops. And even though it's not on anyone's list yet, I'm bringing several wrecking bars - they are amazing for demo'ing ruined drywall.

Cash is still the best donation, as it lets organizers get what they need, when they need it. And it avoids using up storage for unneeded things. Asheville is currently having a minor crisis with a glut of donated clothes. Again, any money that you donate that goes beyond the cost of the gear I'm bringing will go to the biggest needs I find down there.

Thank you so much!!

POSTSCRIPT: In an effort to prevent Helene/Milton scammers, GoFundMe is asking me to give more information about myself and my trip.

So:

My name is Ian Broverman. I am driving from Montgomery County, Maryland down to Asheville for 3 1/2 weeks of volunteering, donating, and buying cool stuff from Amber S. @ Honey and the Hive in Weaverville to help support her business in a really bad time. I hope to support other businesses that sell tasty food things as well, but will only use your donated money for relief efforts. I've worked several volunteer trips since my first big one in New Orleans after Katrina, including response to the Gatlinburg TN fires and Habitat for Humanity builds in 7 different countries. I drive a 2012 Toyota Tacoma and profess the technical skills to load that sucker up like the Beverly Hillbillies. My favorite color used to be blue, but now it is leaning more towards green. If you don't give to this GoFundMe, I hope you do support Helene/Milton victims through other means.