From Crying Over Ice to ‘Bucket Brigades’: Inside Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts in North Carolina

• Following Hurricane Helene's deadly path in the southeastern U.S., The Home Depot and Lowe's are pledging $2 million each for relief and recovery
• Employees in Western North Carolina, one of the hardest-hit areas, tell PEOPLE about how they've been helping their communities
• " I never thought I would cry over ice, but I did this morning when I saw it get here," says Teresa Peterson-Spoonholtz, a manager of a Home Depot in Asheville

Amid the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, the two biggest home improvement companies are stepping up to help.

Earlier this week, The Home Depot and Lowe’s announced that they were each pledging $2 million to help in the relief efforts. And locally, both companies’ locations in parts of hard-hit Western North Carolina have served as a lifeline for people in need.

Teresa Peterson-Spoonholtz, the manager of a Home Depot in Asheville, tells PEOPLE that her store was prepared — and that they were open on the morning on Sept. 27, just hours after the storm first made landfall in Florida.

“We've been here all day, 24 hours since the storm happened,” she says.

One of The Home Depot Foundation’s nonprofit partners involved in relief efforts is Operation Blessing, which is currently set up in the parking lot of the Asheville store to help hand out water and meals.

Upon his team’s arrival, Diego Traverso, Operation Blessing’s director of international disaster relief, recalls people coming up to him with gratitude, saying they hadn't had any food or water to drink or take showers with for days.

"It's so impactful for me," Traverso says, "and very moving to be serving here and at the same time to listen to the testimonies of the people."

Britni Adkins, Operation Blessing’s director in procurement & corporate relations, adds that if there's ever anything they need in Asheville, they've been able to get it shipped directly to them from local stores.

About 87 miles away from Asheville, the Lowe’s store in Boone has also been doing its part in providing relief. Chris Reynolds, who manages the location, says the store was one of the few in town that survived the flooding.

“Obviously there was a lot of work to get ourselves back open,” Reynolds tells PEOPLE. “But it's pretty amazing how we did that. Customers are definitely happy that we're here and we have tons and tons of red vests, which are basically Superman capes right now, running around."

Lowe’s has an emergency command center that was already mobilized ahead of Helene, says Sean Reilly, the company’s regional vice president.

“We had about a hundred people cleaning crews that were able to come in knowing that our primary responsibility is to be available for the community," he says. "So we were able to get this [Boone] store turned around within a 24-hour window and have it open for the public.”

The store even has a "bucket brigade" in front, which lets folks "drive right through and pick up some of the essential items they need" for free.

And everybody has stories about what's struck them the most.

Traverso says that one lady stopped by to get a package of water for her family, who hadn't had any in five days.

"'Please let me know where you live. I can carry more for you,' " Traverso says he replied, but instead the woman said, "'No, let me take one because I know there are other people needing it too.' "

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“I had an associate who walked three miles to get one bar of cell phone signals to send me a text,” adds Reynolds of Lowe’s. “Her home was destroyed. She showed up for work yesterday with the same wet slippers that she escaped her home with. And of course, I called my wife and we bought her some shoes to make sure she's taken care of."

Meanwhile Peterson-Spoonholtz says she never imagined getting so emotional about ice.

“I’ve spent the last three-and-a-half hours giving out free ice to the community,” says Peterson-Spoonholtz. “The Home Depot brought us in 6,000 bags of ice to give to the community. I never thought I would cry over ice, but I did this morning when I saw it get here."

“I can't tell you how many customers have approached myself or other associates and basically thanked us for being open,” says Reynolds, “that they wouldn't know what to do without us.”

Both camps said they will continue to help the community recover as long as it takes. "The path to recovery is going to take time and we're committed," says Traverso.

“We'll still be here,” adds Reilly. “And I think that's the key. "This is not about us as an organization. It's really about the community. So we'll be here as long as we need to make sure that every last homeowner is taken care of and every associate gets what they need to be successful."