Welcome To Embrace Humanity

This website, and appeal for help, reflects the efforts of people who came together by circumstance via social media. Erin, Benna and ____ recognized the catastrophic conditions and acted, separately at first but eventually together.

Erin and Benna, with keen insight into what would be most helpful for those who lost everything, began shopping in Walmart and Costco, using their own funds and eventually funds from many who donated, to gather emergency supplies and deliver to sheriffs’ departments and churches. Additional dedicated volunteers, each bringing unique gifts and talents, have since joined to provide support and expertise. Our “How Can I Help?” page lists a variety of Amazon registries, supported by different team members.

____ immediately put his logistics expertise in disaster relief to use in organizing determined volunteers, now numbering almost a thousand, willing to go straight into the hardest hit and least reachable areas of the western North Carolina mountains. Fine-tuned units of skilled volunteers have been responding, reallocating, and modifying plans in order to help the most the fastest with change being the only constant.

Working together they created a system that gets supplies directly in the hands of those in need, avoiding delays and supply bottlenecks.

Their new partnership, begun with urgency, quickly became a consolidated effort to identify the needs, procure what’s needed, and coordinate selfless volunteers to deliver the emergency supplies to those who, in many cases, have received no other contact since the storm hit.

Phones buzzing 24/7 with despairing pleas for help, selfless efforts to help our fellow Americans in desperate need have not ceased. Nor have Erin, Benna and ___, and their volunteer teams resolved to meet the need, no matter how daunting the challenges.

Teams using their own helicopter, ATVs, trailers, and even mules, have answered the call. They’ve given countless hours at great risk of harm in reaching remote parts through harsh terrain, washed-out roads, and resistance from more “official” entities, to get generators, chainsaws, fuel, water, food, blankets, hot tents, outdoor stoves and more to those who need the supplies to survive.

The daily needs shift on a dime, and they are operating with dexterity, simply because they are resourceful and independent. In fact, the teams’ agility is one of their greatest strengths. At this writing, over FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE STORM, our stalwart volunteers are still finding pockets of individuals, families and small communities living in tent cities who have yet to receive any assistance whatsoever. Each time volunteers have come upon this, they have quickly assessed the situation, identified the needs, and moved promptly to give aid.

In essence, a well-oiled machine has emerged in those mountains from a rag-tag group of caring and courageous men and women. Erin, Josh and Benna have become key contacts others approach when they need help making things happen.

Erin’s nonstop efforts to lead, communicate, respond, connect, and provide what’s needed has been herculean. Benna continues to run donated supplies where they can be quickly dispersed.  ____’s continuous and proficient management of manpower and materials has grown into many groups relying on him to pull together separate efforts, all with the goal of providing the most efficient assistance as swiftly as possible. At any given moment he can be heard on the phone skillfully coordinating with supply and hot meal donors, ad hoc rescue or volunteer teams or the more structured ones such as Cajun Navy Relief (link to CNR), Samaritan’s Purse, local sheriffs, even some military efforts.

This is just the start of what happens when good people come together to help good people. The efforts to help will continue for months to years, as the need is beyond anyone’s imagination.