The Hunger and Health Coalition has been working in the aftermath of the hurricane to deliver essentials such as food, water, medication, and supplies. The need is so great in our community, that it’s great to be able to rely on community contacts to fill in the gaps where we can’t. In a time when she herself is trying to come back after the flood, Watauga native Jennifer Triplett has set out to help folks with getting back on their feet.
Jennifer said that Sept. 27 when the flooding from Hurricane Helene affected the area was “one of the worst days of my life.”
After the first mudslide hit the side of their house, Jennifer watched as her husband went out with a chainsaw to try to cut up some of the trees that had fallen and then use a backhoe to move some of the mud. The second mudslide shoved him inside of the backhoe into the house, and Jennifer feared she was about to watch her husband be buried in the mud.
It was after the third mudslide into their home when they made the difficult decision to leave their home to seek safety. Jennifer said it was distressing to leave the house they had worked so hard for, unsure what they would be coming back to afterward.
“We weren’t prepared. Nobody was. There was nothing we could do to get prepared,” Jennifer said.
The mud infiltrated the garage of the house by blowing in two walls, broke a corner post of the home and water flooded their basement. Since that day, 17 trees and more than 120 loads of mud have been removed from the property. Friends from Virginia came to help grade the property and countless other friends and family have come to their aid.
In the following days she spent multiple hours in an insurance office to be told their claim had been denied. She said there were others in the insurance office as well seeking out insurance help as “everybody in there had lost something.”
About a week or so after the hurricane, the area experienced a nightfall of rain. Jennifer said the rain gave her feelings of panic and being scared, having flashbacks to the day of the flooding.
“You’re never going to meet someone that hasn’t been affected,” Jennifer said. “We’re all scared. We’re all devastated. We’re all sad. We may never be the same, but we will get through it. It’s going to take some time.”
Having returned to her home to deal with the aftermath, Jennifer said there were large machines running, the sound of chainsaws and she would hear the National Guard flying over. Wanting to channel some nervous energy after the tragedy, she decided she would try to help the people in the Watauga community. With a family who had been in the area for generations and as a nurse by trade at UNC Health Appalachian, she set out to create a network of locals who could help those who needed it.
(As a nurse) I’ve taken care of a lot of people in the community. I felt like maybe people would trust me,” Jennifer said.
Worried that there would be folks in the area who could use help but would be afraid to reach out to an organization, Jennifer took to Facebook to announce her intentions to help deliver resources to community members at their homes. The next morning, she woke up to 20 messages from folks seeking help. The efforts have grown to also include contacts in Ashe and Avery counties.
So far, her and her network have helped to deliver refrigerators, stoves, clothes, toiletries, furniture, firewood, food, and wheelbarrows. Additionally, they’ve helped to install floors in a flooded home recently. All of this has been with the help of donated items or money from social media campaigns and Amazon wish lists. Jennifer said being able to help the community in this way has been special and humbling.
During this aftermath it isn't one agency or one person who is here to help the community, it's all of us. It's the network of folks in the area who are going to make a difference. The Hunger and Health Coalition will work with Jennifer to ensure folks are able to receive items that they need to recover from Helene.
Jennifer said that everyone needs help in their life, and "coming together" will ensure everyone is able to receive that help.
"During this time we have to lean on not only each other but the resources we have," Jennifer said. "Some amazing resources are right here in this community and
at our fingertips. There is no shame in being helped."
If you or someone you know could use the help of the Hunger and Health Coalition or Jennifer, call or text Jennifer at (828) 773-2619 or email Hunger and Health’s Kayla Lasure at kayla@hungerandhealthcoalition.com.
Comentários