There are so many devastating losses in Western NC right now, it is hard to wrap our heads around it and know where to start to help. Our community faces a long uphill road to recovery, and there are so many people who need assistance. Part of what makes this community so vibrant and wonderful are the small businesses that provide us with unique and fun places to come together. And if you know Brandon and Davie, you know how much of their heart and soul went into creating their bar and coffee shop, DayTrip which just opened a little over a month ago. They spent countless months and so much blood, sweat and tears renovating the space and realizing their dream of creating a cozy and quirky place for friends and neighbors to come and feel welcome. And it was that place for a sweet brief time. But when Hurricane Helene hit Western N.C., DayTrip, along with so many other small businesses along the French Broad, was completely destroyed. As everyone is trying to navigate through the slow process of insurance claims, the bills are still coming due, and the employees have no income until they rebuild. Brandon and Davie used their life savings and took out a large business loan to get this dream of theirs started. In all, they put over $180,000 into this business and are now facing the daunting task of rebuilding from the ground up. They need to pay their business loans and other bills and, in typical Brandon and Davie fashion, their first concern was their employees. They really want to be able to provide their employees with some assistance during this extremely difficult time.

We all want to help in some way...this is one small way we can support our dear friends and amazing community. Even if you don't know Brandon and Davie, take my word for it, they are two of the best humans. So help if you are able. They love and appreciate all of you!

Follow DayTrip.Avl on Instagram to hear their story and see their photos...before and after.

*This GoFundMe Campaign was started by Meredith Sims, a friend of Brandon and Davie's. 100% of the funds collected will go to support them and their employees while they rebuild.