CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The small business community is banding together to help each other heal from the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
Many popular places in Charlotte also have locations in Asheville, which are now dealing with serious storm damage.
Burial Beer Company's taproom in Asheville was spared from damage but currently can't operate, so, it's turned its brewery into a safe space for people in need of food, supplies and power.
"We've just been holding community cookouts there," Alyssa Gavin, the taproom manager of Burial's Charlotte location, explained. "It's just free meals for the community to come, [and] we have generators and stuff."
The Charlotte taproom has been collecting donations and shipping them up to Asheville ever since Helene hit the city. Boxes of diapers, toothbrushes, toilet paper and other essential items lined Burial's taproom before they loaded up its box truck with the latest donations Wednesday.
Gavin said the biggest need they're seeing right now is for winter clothing. She told WCNC Charlotte she's feeling relieved after a stressful two weeks.
"It's just so nice to know that all of our staff are accounted for and safe as they can be," Gavin said., adding they just found out the news a few days ago.
Unfortunately, a fellow brewery with locations in Charlotte and Asheville sustained significant damage.
Hi-Wire Brewing's distribution headquarters and beer garden in Asheville was submerged in muddy water during Hurricane Helene.
"It's still unclear what the future for that facility is," co-owner Bryna Fosaker said.
"Our distribution center was destroyed," Christine Ferguson Weaver added. "So, about 80% of our inventory was completely wiped away in the flood."
As Hi-Wire tries to figure out next steps, other breweries are showing their support.
"A lot of breweries around the state have been going above and beyond," Fosaker said. "NoDa specifically has personally been delivering supplies to our front door here so we can give it out to our customers."
Support from the community has been a silver lining to many small businesses after seeing the storm destroy so much.
"We're so thankful for everyone that keeps supporting us and that we're able to keep supporting in return," Gavin said.
Other Charlotte/Asheville businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene include PIE.ZAA, PlantHouse, and Summit Coffee.
On Saturday, Oct. 12, Burial is hosting its annual Burnpile event in Charlotte instead of Asheville and hopes people will come out to support. Then on Sunday, Oct. 13, Hi-Wire is throwing a fundraiser event at its South End location.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.