This week, the community of dog hunters across the United States came together to donate thousands of dollars worth of supplies to their fellow hunters affected by Hurricane Helen. The effort was so successful that the local Tennessee Post Office reportedly couldn't manage all the deliveries.
Last Friday, Hurricane Helen brought heavy rain to parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, forcing residents to seek help on their rooftops within hours.
Pastor TL Jones Appalachian Baptist Church A reporter in Greenville, Tennessee, explained to Blaze News how serious the situation quickly became.
“people [were] They kicked in the windows above and were rescued by boat or airlifted to another location,” he said. …And once that happened, people just got swept away. ”
friend, boone mccrarystopped at Reverend Jones' home just before setting out by boat to rescue people trapped by floodwaters. McCrary never returned.
“He fell over and drowned. They found him yesterday and they found his body,” Jones said.
The pastor also told the harrowing story of a helicopter rescuing a patient from the roof of a hospital, the story of a husband who drowned as he and his wife tried to flee after their home was torn off its foundation, and how a multi-million gallon dam barely held up. They shared tragic stories, including the story of a dam. Water cascades down onto it.
“Where is the federal government?” Where are they? We weren't waiting for them, but we were expecting them to show up. ”
Amid these dangerous circumstances, a ray of hope shines through. People from all over the United States were united by their love for hunting dogs and their companions. With the help of Pastor Jones and Chris Powell (hosts)Houndman XP” podcast, the group was able to successfully send a large amount of supplies to Greenville.
Screenshot from the Houndsman XP website. Used with permission.
With the help of his daughter — “It took a woman's hand,” he joked — Powell Amazon gift registration and shared it on social media.
The response was amazing. As of Thursday afternoon, people had sent more than $8,000 worth of supplies to the destroyed area.
“The site has everything from ready-made baby bottles to water, sanitary products, cleaning products, canned goods and snack foods,” Powell told Blaze News.
Amazon registry receipt photo (shared with Blaze News)
In fact, Powell and his fellow hound hunters were so generous that the local Greenville Post Office needed help delivering all the items donated from the Amazon registry, Jones said.
“It comes to the post office, but we send a car to the post office to pick it up because they can't handle the amount of packages coming in,” he explained to Blaze News. .
Blaze News reached out to the U.S. Postal Service to confirm Jones' version, but did not receive a response.
Mr. Powell also contacted Elite Nutrition, one of the show's sponsors, and he claimed that people there had donated two tons of pet food.
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Jones said she raised a total of $10,000 from her church's fundraising plate and another local church. He then began going door to door, handing out $250 to residents. “It's so they can put cash in their pockets,” he said.
A network of churches and other organizations have also reached out to Pastor Jones, inviting them to send supplies to the area. A particularly touching note was written on the outside of the box containing the donated supplies: “From Uncle John's Pistolmen to my fellow Tennesseeans.”
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While the needs in the region remain great, the good people of Greenville want to take care of others, so Powell, Jones and others will soon be directing the donations that keep coming in to parts of North Carolina. I plan to direct it to
Mr. Powell then shared a heartwarming story that aptly conveyed the generous nature of the Appalachian people, or what he aptly described as their “fighting spirit.”
“One of the guys… was literally bringing supplies and insulin and medicine up the mountain with horses and pack mules, and he was telling an elderly woman there that she couldn't even go outside. There was no electricity or water on the road, but there was a spring,” Powell said.
“And he rode in there and said, “Can I leave some food?'' She said, “I'm fine, but I'm going to make dinner, so if you want to stay and join me.'' If you want to eat, you're welcome.''
Powell, a former Indiana conservation officer who helped with relief efforts after several natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said he knows the hunting community opens its hearts and wallets to those in need. He told Blaze News.
“These are the people who work for the power company. They are the people who build the homes, and they are the ones who come out when the time comes,” he said with pride.
”[They’re] He is a good-hearted, freedom-loving American who knows the value of courage and helping his fellow man. ”
On the other hand, FEMA is a federal government agency; annual budget nearly $30 billion, $750 To all the taxpayers who have lost, in some cases, almost all of their assets.
“Where are the federal government? Where are they? We're not waiting for them, but we certainly expected them to show up, and we just want to know: Where are they? ?Where's FEMA?'' Jones asked.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas insisted federal agencies under his jurisdiction, including FEMA, were doing their best.
Mayorkas said Wednesday: “We are meeting immediate needs with the funds we have. And we're expecting another hurricane. We don't have the funds.”
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