BOONE, N.C. — After Helene, the mountainous communities of western North Carolina are exploring the logistics of storm recovery and the distribution of disaster relief supplies.
With so many roads still closed and buildings extensively damaged by the storm, Summit Pickleball and the Boone Chamber of Commerce have turned the sports club into a makeshift supply distribution center.
Where players once stood, now piles of baby diapers, protein bars, bottled drinks and personal health items rein.
"Just thinking about the community and everything that we can do to help them," Carrie Henderson, the director of events for the chamber of commerce, told WCNC Charlotte on Tuesday.
The community is specifically in need of cold-weather clothing, laundry detergent, batteries, benadryl and cleaning supplies, according to Henderson. A full list of needed items is available on the chamber of commerce website.
The Summit is located at 278 Industrial Park Drive, which is just off of U.S. Highway 421 South near the South Fork New River.
They are accepting donations between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They are not accepting any unscheduled large deliveries, which they define as a quantity needing a tractor-trailer or box truck.
In lieu of physical items, they are also accepting monetary donations through the Boone Area chamber of commerce Foundation.
Contact Richard DeVayne at rdevayne@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.