John and Nan Sowieja made the journey from their Willard, Wisconsin, home to the Cosby region in order to assist those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Since Helene struck eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina on September 27, the pair has taken two road trips. A week or so after the hurricane, they made their first journey.
John remarked, “God put it in our hearts,”
According to Nan, they brought 400 pounds of food for the trip. They donated it to “The Breadbasket,” a nonprofit organization based in Newport.
They will assist with the reconstruction of at least one house. Additionally, Nan will concentrate on assisting at relief distribution locations. In addition to helping with missing-person searches, John, a professional handyman, will look for opportunities to put his skill set to use.
On their initial journey in early October, they used a similar route. They dragged a 28-foot trailer loaded with items donated by their Willard neighbors and friends.
According to them, they distributed those items for more than a week while looking for any chance to assist in both East Tennessee and western North Carolina.
They were rendered speechless by Helene’s devastation, but they were also moved by their small hometown’s neighbors’ generosity.
“We parked on main street, and it was non-stop for at least two hours, with people waiting to hand us stuff to put on the trailer,” John stated.
According to Nan, she has posted updates about their travels on social media and connected with others who might be willing to offer assistance.
About $5,000 has been donated by friends, neighbors, and complete strangers, which they will use to purchase goods for those in need. Some of that has gone toward Lifestraws, which cleanse water, among other things.
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They claimed that nothing could have prepared them for the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. As colder weather moves into the area, they are concerned about people who must still sleep outside.
They stated that this is the reason they are thinking about taking another trip in 2025.
