Help Furnish Tiny Homes for Western NC Helene Flood Victims

Hey everyone, I truly hope you are well. My name is Randy Buckner and I live in Berkeley Lake, Georgia. I am trying to raise money to help the Hurricane Helene victims of Western North Carolina who have lost their homes to the devastating flood that washed through the area last September.

With your support, my goal is to furnish the new tiny homes that are being built for them.

Shortly after the storm hit, I started taking up donations in October of 2024 at a local level. At the beginning, they needed warm coats, blankets, heaters, sleeping bags... my family and I were able to fill two large U-Hauls and several vans with essential supplies which I hauled up north.

My nephew was running a distribution center at a church in Spindale, N.C. called Father's Vineyard, and two good friends of mine had a distribution center/staging ground out of their rent-to-own business in Spruce Pine, N.C. Until recently they had 16 linemen sleeping and operating out of their store as they struggled to restore electricity to the community. Their store was also damaged. Both of these operations were feeding 300 to 500 people daily, and even 1,000 at times.

Over the past 6 months we have distributed supplies all over western N.C.: Lake Lure, Bat Cave, Old Fort, Spruce Pine, Hot Springs, Marshall, Black Mountain, Swannanoa, and elsewhere.

My family is from Spindale, N.C., and had a heart to help. The devastation is like nothing you have ever seen. In many places it looks like a war zone. They have estimated that there were around 2,400 mudslides. They were hit with 30-foot walls of water filled with trees and mud, and I have heard reports that the water was as high as 60 and 90 feet in some areas. The hurricane also spun off many tornadoes.

The devastation was even worse than what most news outlets were reporting. I have seen cars that look like the Hulk mashed them into a ball. One gentleman out of a family community of 26 was the only survivor. There was one man they found still alive with only his head sticking out of the mud. As rescuers were about to pull him out, he said, "Please don't pull me out, my family is underneath me and are tickling my feet to let me know they are still alive." Before long, they stopped tickling. Have you ever heard anything more heartbreaking?

Not only did many lose their homes and cars, but also their jobs. They have no way to make money. The federal government offered a whopping $750 in the beginning per family, which few were actually able to obtain. Some roads have been repaired, but many were washed away and still remain as such.

Here is a before and after of our beloved Chimney Rock Village, located in Lake Lure:

The experts are calling this a 1,000-year flood. Please join us in our attempt to help these poor families have somewhere to lay their heads and get out of the weather. Many are still living in tents, and we have heard of two babies that died this winter due to the cold.

God has graciously connected us with a team of wonderful people that are building 12 by 16 feet tiny homes. That's not huge by any means, but it is infinitely better than a tent or sleeping on the ground. With the help of volunteers from all over the country, including the Amish from Maryland and different locations, they are doing a wonderful job.

The LORD has laid it on my heart to help furnish these tiny homes with the things that a family needs to function. We will be supplying bunk beds and a queen for those without children, which will be the exception. Also, a love seat that pulls out to make another bed, a microwave with stand, kitchen stand-up cabinet, stand-up closet, nightstand, dresser, 5x7' rug, and a refrigerator with a freezer. Also, a fire extinguisher, sheets, pillow, and comforter. We can supply these things with your help for about $2,200 per unit with all new items.

We have a 'help-the-whole-person' approach, as we also want to help victims recover from the aftermath of surviving such a traumatizing event, such as depression, suicidal thoughts, and improving their self-esteem to regain their confidence. The head builder, Justin Peak, and Katie Hansen, his CEO and fiancée, are well-versed in mental health and well-being. We will be giving each family a Bible and will also have the opportunity to pray for them and minister to them. All of this happened to them without any fault of their own. There are old folks, parents, teenagers, children, and babies that desperately need our support. Whatever you can send — $10, $20, $50, $100, or more — will be greatly needed and appreciated. We will be able to help over 500 people have a home.

Thank you so very much, and may Jesus help you and your family with the things that you need in life. We are living in difficult and deceptive times, so be careful with what you listen to. I encourage you to read God's word, the Bible, and it will be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.

May God bless you and yours mightily! Jesus cares!