Help Rebuild Jamaican Food Business Destroyed by Helene

"From the Islands to the Highlands" Charley King has given so much to our mountain home. And he needs our help.

Hurricane Helene left western NC in crisis, and many of you have reached out asking how you can help. I know many of you already know Charley King, maybe through his beloved Jamaican food truck, or maybe his bottled jerk sauces, rubs, and authentic island spices, or maybe from his combo reggae/bluegrass festivals. https://charleykings.com

Charley lost both his custom food truck in Asheville and his spice warehouse in Swannanoa to the floods. Both were total losses.



This fundraiser is to help Charley start the long and difficult process of replacing everything he has built here over the last two decades. He needs to build a new food truck from scratch, restore his warehouse and production facility, and replenish lost inventory.

I met Charley by chance. I saw his food truck almost two years ago while driving through Asheville on my way home to Tryon. My husband, sons, and I love Caribbean food, so I slammed on the brakes at the possibility of oxtail. It's a family favorite, so we had to give Charley’s a try. That night, I brought home jerk pork ribs, oxtail, and jerk chicken. We were sold from the first bite! Thursdays became Jamaican night in our home. My name is Margaret Curtis, but up until two days ago, Charley only knew me as "Thursday Lady," a nickname that always made me laugh. Over time, Charley and I developed a friendship, chatting through the truck window as he cooked. We talked about songs that haunt you with their uniqueness—Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine, Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman. We talked about perfectionism, because Charley is a true artist--always searching out new and unique flavors, like his super spicy charred blackberry sauce, or driving 4 hours to Atlanta to get the best oxtail, or building a special room in his truck just for the jerk chicken--and artists struggle with perfectionism.

Charley is such a kind and positive force in Western North Carolina! Please join in helping him work through this disaster. There are so many vibrant, creative people who make this part of the world such a special place to be. And Charley King is definitely one of them.