My name is Haley, and I am reaching out today to share a cause that is very close to my heart. I am seeking to raise funds for my dad, Greg, who has lost all of his tools in the devastation of Hurricane Helene. My dad desperately needs these tools to be able to work and provide for his family.

My partner, August, and I live in Brevard, NC. I am an event manager at a local wedding venue and August works for the NC Forest Service. I grew up in Asheville and surrounding areas. We feel very lucky that the particular area we live in, Brevard, didn’t get hit as hard as so many others. The worst part of the storm, for me, by far, was desperately trying to get in touch with family, which proved to be a much bigger obstacle than anticipated due to total loss of cell service in the region.

The worst of the storm occurred on Friday the 27th. At that point, WNC lost nearly all cell service, and most people were also without power and water. I was able to get in touch with my mom, my brother and his girlfriend on Saturday when a neighbor graciously offered to let us connect to their Starlink internet that allowed us to receive and send some texts. No one could get in touch with our dad, Greg, who lives in Green Mountain, about an hour and a half away from us. My dad lives with his partner, Tabitha, an 11 yr old daughter, their 6 month old baby, and 3 dogs.

On Sunday, we were able to talk to my grandparents in Hendersonville and find out that they were ok. They also hadn’t been able to contact my dad, and were very worried about their son. We all were, especially after hearing the horrific news from areas very close to them (Burnsville, Spruce Pine, Bakersville). We learned of landslides where entire communities had been wiped out, search and rescue teams going out with cadaver dogs along the river banks, and helicopters rescuing people from the tops of mountains.

On Monday, my brother and I called every single fire department in Yancey County trying to get some kind of emergency services to check on my dad. Most of the calls didn’t even go through due to the lack of cell service - though we were able to leave a few voicemails. Finally - I saw a call come through from my dad and learned that they were ok. We were so relieved. They were ok, but they had no power, water, cell service, or internet, the dirt road to their house was washed out - and the main highway to their house had only one lane remaining, as the other was destroyed in the flooding.

My dad is one of the hardest working people I know. He works independently in construction, and before that was a beloved manager at several local restaurants. He makes a huge impact on those he works with - often lovingly being referred to by younger co-workers as their “dad”. In fact, a co-worker who he worked very closely with in construction had their entire team working around the clock to clear the road to his house and check on them, in the days following the storm when no one could get in contact.

The majority of my dad’s tools my dad needs to work were at his current construction job, in Pensacola, NC at the time of the flooding. Pensacola has been completely devastated - with no way to get to the job site. The main road to get there is completely gone and the bridge that leads to the job site has been washed out completely. Even if we were to be able to access the job site eventually, there is no telling what state his tools are in - if any are even still there and intact at all. Two cars were reported to be crushed by trees at the job site, so the likelihood that any tools are salvageable feels very slim.

Due to the state of their home and the total loss of infrastructure in their area, my dad and Tabitha made the difficult decision to travel to the coast of South Carolina with their kids and dogs in tow to stay with family and plan their next steps. They do not anticipate being able to return home for at least several weeks - and likely much longer than that. In the meantime, my dad is looking for construction work in SC.

Without the majority of his tools, we need your help. We are looking to raise $5000 for my dad so he can purchase new tools so he can begin again and continue working to provide for his family. Any and all funds received will be sent directly to my dad and he will spend the funds on the list of tools below, and any others deemed necessary. Having these tools will be the biggest factor in getting my dad and family back on their feet.

Below is a list of tools that have been lost and are needed to help get my dad back on his feet:

2 - 28’ ladders

2 - 6’ gorilla ladders

10” Dewalt table saw

Dewalt xr Sawzall

Dewalt xr disc sander

Dewalt ¼” xr impact drill

Metabo 10” miter saw

Craftsman 6# compressor

Pneumatic tools:

Metabo 30 degree nail gun

Craftsman finish nailer

Brad nailer and stapler

Kobalt hammer, drill, and bit set

50’ ⅜ air hose

25’ ⅜ air hose

Dewalt saw horses 1000# capacity each

Two rolling tool boxes 2’ 4”

Boxes of nails / deck screws / finish nails

Likely many more items unaccounted for

How you can help:

Donate: any amount helps!

Share: please share this campaign!

Thank you for reading - your support means so much to us!!

GoFundMe has asked all those affected by Hurricane Helene to provide the following information for transparency:

1. Who you are - My name is Haley and I live in Brevard, NC - I work remotely as an event manager at a venue near Asheville.

2. Where you're from - I was born in Florida and raised in WNC

3. Your relationship to the parties you're raising funds for - I am raising funds for my dad, Greg

4. How the funds will be spent (be specific as possible) - The funds will be spent on tools my dad needs to be able to work and provide for his family