Hanging Dog – Noah Lescalleet is a local resident who has been volunteering with Reach Global Crisis Responses to provide aid to hurricane-affected areas in western North Carolina, primarily focused in Hendersonville.
When he first began volunteering, he aided with delivering supplies to the area, and more recently he has been helping with gutting houses, cleaning up debris and cutting trees. Reach Global Crisis Response has had volunteers staying at local churches, including Hendersonville Presbyterian Church, to maximize the amount of work that can be done to help the community each day and ensure volunteers have a place to stay.
“It’s interesting and hard to see some of the areas. One house will be fine while the house right next to it is completely destroyed,” Lescalleet said.
He added that it’s been great to see so many people come together to help. During his time with Reach Global Crisis Response, there were volunteers from as far as Texas, including those who provided translations.
The hardest part of his experience has been realizing just how bad the disaster could have been for Cherokee County.
“It’s crazy how close it was and just how bad the damage is. It’s hard to not think of the what-ifs,” he said. “We were lucky to be spared the destruction, and I just wanted to be of service in any way that I could.”
Lescalleet’s family owns Hanging Dog General Store, which was raised more than $3,000 from a Fall Festival that was donated to groups providing aid in the smaller, hardest-hit areas of western North Carolina. Hanging Dog General Store has also provided meals to the volunteers of Cherokee Clay Food Alliance at Western Carolina Regional Airport in Andrews.
Lescalleet also helped the Cherokee Clay Food Alliance with unloading supplies flown into the airport and also helping deliver supplies. He encourages those looking to help to go through organizations that already are in contact with locals and better able to meet the immediate needs of each community.
These needs rapidly change, so communication and connection are key. He added that volunteers shouldn’t be afraid to provide mental and emotional support.
“I’ve listened to a lot of stories from a lot of different people. Be a friend, an outlet or just someone to talk to,” Lescalleet said. “Being there to listen helps these victims more than you know.”
Details: Visit crisis-response.ministries.efca.org.