When Hurricane Helen devastated Corey and Melissa Ackerman's area, the couple jumped in to help ease the burden of damage from the deadly storm.
“Once we were able to reopen, it didn't feel right to open the doors and go back to business as usual. So we felt we had to give back in some way. So we said, 'We can pay. “We came up with the idea, 'We'll pay you a certain amount,'” Corey Ackerman told FOX News Digital.
The Ackermans run Snowbird Mountain Coffee Company, a local coffee shop chain in Newport, Tenn., which is one of many Cocke County businesses affected by Hurricane Helen's flooding. It was two.
Corey Ackerman said many volunteers were able to clear the floodwaters from the store and receive donations of equipment from the community to reopen the store.
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Cory and Melissa Ackerman are trying to give back to their community after Hurricane Helen's flooding devastated their town. (Snowbird Mountain Coffee Company)
“We've had a great response from people all over the country, and we've had local people donate to help us keep this going as long as possible, which is amazing,” Melissa Ackerman said. said. About new business models. “And every day we give out free coffee and free meals. I mean, it's… I don't know. It's great to know that we can help the community and contribute to society in a small way.” Even if it's a small thing. ”
The Ackermans have lived in County Cork since 2017. They said nothing had happened in Newport for years, and in the past year downtown had been thriving with several new businesses opening.
“It happened to be the area that had the worst flooding in a few blocks where there was a lot of activity going on, and it was really heartening to see everyone put so much money into building their businesses here. It hurts.' Literally, you see them take everything away and put it out on the street, and then you see the garbage trucks come and throw it all away,” Corey Ackerman explained. “I don't understand that…I think that was the biggest shock.”
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Newport, Tennessee, was one of the many communities affected by Hurricane Helen's flooding. (Snowbird Mountain Coffee Company)
Corey Ackerman went on to talk about how devastating it was for him and Melissa to see their community suffer.
“There's a lot of people who have lost their homes. I mean, it's one thing to lose your business and it's two completely different things to lose your home. And I think, I don't know, the one thing that's kept everyone going is… It was, as I like to say, the fact that as soon as the water receded, the community rallied and got to work. It was immediate, and it was prolific, and it was amazing,” Corey Ackerman said of the response to the cleanup effort.
Melissa Ackerman said it was overwhelming what she saw and heard from staff about the outpouring of support for those in need in the community.
She even mentioned that some people come into the store and leave $100, and one customer even went so far as to leave $200 without buying anything.
“Just knowing that…that's what we decided to do to help the community, to make an impact, to help the families and surrounding communities that are affected by this, but also to help others. “To see them understand the value of what we do, and they want to contribute as well…I think it's really great,” Melissa Ackerman said.
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Corey and Melissa Ackerman said they were able to reopen thanks to the support of the community and generous volunteers and donors. (Snowbird Mountain Coffee Company)
“We had some really big donors who helped us get back on our feet. I was crying…I couldn't even look at them. It was amazing. I just want to be able to touch people's souls and their spirits and help them recover. Without those people, we would not have been able to open at all,” Melissa Ackerman continued.
The Ackermans said they have no plans to discontinue the “Pay What You Can Program” because they understand the damage caused by Hurricane Helen will impact local residents for years to come.
“We want to continue this work for as long as possible, and we have definitely been able to do that because of the donations that are being raised. So as long as we keep collecting donations, we will continue to do that. We can continue.' This is not going to end by the end of October because this area is going to be affected for a very long time, it's going to be going on for years,” Melissa Ackerman said.
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A Tennessee coffee shop is offering a “pay what you can” program to help those affected by Hurricane Helen's flooding. (Snowbird Mountain Coffee Company)
The Ackermans said they are considering other ideas to raise money for families in need in the area. They talked about doing a coffee stout collaboration with Gatlinburg Brewing Company and toyed with the idea of roasting specialty coffee and selling it to raise money for local families.
“There are a lot of good people here who need a lot of help right now, so every little bit helps,” Melissa Ackerman said.
Corey Ackerman said he and Melissa have been touched by not only the local support, but also the support from across the country.
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“I think one of the things that struck me was right after I posted it, it probably went viral for us. I mean, it got 500,000 views. “That's a lot for anything we've come to,” Corey Ackerman said after announcing a new program aimed at helping people in need. spoke. “So almost immediately donations came in from all over the country. It was a way for people who couldn't come here to help and felt like they had to do something to be able to contribute.”
In addition to one store in Morristown, the couple owns two Snowbird Mountain Coffee Company stores in Newport.
