The path of destruction near Biltmore Village in Asheville, N.C.
How you can support the relief effort
By Janet Weyandt and Alan Wolf, YSN
In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation, BrandSource dealers have asked how they can help their fellow members in the impacted Southeast and Mid-America Regions.
Many, particularly those located in and around ravaged Asheville, N.C., are still without electricity and water, reported BrandSource Vice President Kevin Werner, and some remain unreachable.
Steven Hardin, owner of Asheville’s Haywood Appliance, said it might be weeks before he’s up and running again.
The business has two showrooms, in Asheville and Clyde, N.C., and an 80,000-square-foot warehouse, service and delivery center in Waynesville. Of the three, the Asheville location was hit the hardest, he said, but escaped the worst of the hurricane’s destruction.
While he waits for electricity, water and internet service to be restored, and figures out how reopen the Asheville store, he’s continuing to pay salaries to his 51 employees. He’s also doing what he can for the few staffers who lost their homes in the storm.
The Clyde location is on the edge of the community’s downtown, so the flood waters that submerged the area only came up to the parking lot. Downed trees and ruined roadways are a big issue, making it impossible to access some of the nearby communities.
Hardin had planned to open a clearance center in the Clyde location.
“We’re moving forward with that, which may be a big help to people who can’t afford new stuff,” he said.
This isn’t Hardin’s first experience with a hurricane, but it’s by the far the worst.
“Frances and Ivan both hit back-to-back [in 2004],” he said. “That still was not as bad as this one.”
Fellow Asheville member Keith Davis of Davis Home Furniture is making the best of a bad situation — two feet of water in his store — by giving away all of his marginally water-damaged inventory. According to a Facebook post, his $5 million donation to the community of Western North Carolina includes $5,000 leather sectionals, $6,000 complete bedroom sets and $4,000 complete dining groups, which are being moved to the store’s parking lot for the taking.
“There are so many people in need,” he wrote, “and I hope if you’re reading this, you will share this with all of your friends and do your part to help all of Western North Carolina have somewhere to sleep or sit or eat tonight.”
In response to the crisis, BrandSource members like Phillip Lovin of Lovin’s Wholesale in Talbott, Tenn., and Dave Garner of Bargain Basement Home Center in Hickory, N.C., have jumped into action by gathering donated goods for those in need.
Garner is collecting water, non-perishable food, warm clothing and blankets, and baby and pet supplies for those hardest hit by Helene. His plan is to fill his delivery truck with supplies and drive it roughly 50 miles to Asheville.
He started working on that before he even knew the condition of his home in Boone, N.C.
“I don’t know if I’ve got a house yet,” he said Thursday. “I’m back at work today; I don’t have time to go up there. I’m not worried about me, I’ve got insurance. If my house is gone, I’ll take care of it. I’m worried about all the people up there — people are dying up there.”
Lovin is likewise collecting food, water, mattresses and other necessities “for local groups with feet on the ground,” he said, and is loading up his own truck with pizzas and pallets of water to bring to neighboring towns.
While his store was spared, others have been less fortunate. “Another member has two stores directly affected,” he said. “It will be years rebuilding many of these roads and bridges. People on mountains don’t usually carry flood insurance, so there are going to be some struggles. But these people are resilient, and they will overcome.”
Members who wish to support Lovin and his town’s relief efforts can contact him directly on his cellphone at (423) 312-5846 or at Lovinsfurniture@hotmail.com.
Others, like Sunrise Appliance Center, also located in Hickory, have posted links to area relief agencies. “We are saddened by all the loss that Hurricane Helene has caused in Western North Carolina,” the company wrote on its Facebook post. “As a family-owned local business, our hearts hurt for our community and surrounding areas. Please be safe, reach out to your neighbors and loved ones, and let us come together as a community to help our state.”
BrandSource has also compiled a list of vetted relief agencies for those who wish to contribute. They include:
• Convoy of Hope
• American Red Cross
• Samaritan Purse
• Operation Airdrop
• Diaper Bank
• Hearts with Hands
• Manna Foodbank
• BeLoved Asheville
• Foothills Food Hub
In a statement, AVB BrandSource said, “We are saddened by the recent devastation from Hurricane Helene, and our BrandSource family in the Southeast is in our hearts and minds. We know they are burdened with the hard work and concern for their family, friends and communities; please keep all those impacted by these catastrophic events in your thoughts as they begin the long journey of rebuilding.”
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.
