And Speaking Of... The Impact of Helene

Last week was so surreal and heartbreaking. The destruction caused by Hurricane Helene is truly unfathomable. The total devastation right here in our own backyard of Western Carolina is just incomprehensible, and now we can only sit back and wait to see what will happen to our friends, family, and colleagues in Florida as Hurricane Milton heads towards them.

It is hard to focus on anything other than the desire to help. I've been to my local stores every day and dropped items off at local locations set up to get supplies out right away.

But the truth is, it is just not enough. The feeling of helplessness is really settling in, and all we can really do is spread the word and do everything we can to help those in need.

This week, I knew I had to use my platform on LinkedIn to talk about the impact that Helene has had on our community and share resources for my followers who are wanting to help. The best way I can communicate this is to share the message that the GTN Executive Team – Jennifer Cochrane, Meredith Calloway, Sandy Adcox Saburn, Kristin Matthews, Hannah Reitz, and myself – sent out to our entire network at the end of last week:

As you certainly know by now, Western North Carolina (WNC) has been devastated by Hurricane Helene. The destruction is shocking. This region is just a couple of hours from our office, so this literally hits close to home for us.

We also have a GTN team member, Heather Kuhlman, who lives within the affected area. Thankfully, she and her husband are safe. Her home is mostly undamaged, but she has been without power for a week. There are other GTN advisors in the area who are thankfully safe but struggling through the day-to-day efforts to recover.

So many weren’t that fortunate. Over the next few days, the news is sure to be heartbreaking as the water recedes and clean up begins. There are so many people still missing and it is unlikely their stories will have a happy ending.

Of course, we know that the devastation from this storm isn’t limited to North Carolina. Helene left her mark everywhere she traveled. But North Carolina is our home and our focus for recovery assistance is on WNC. If you are in an area affected by Helene, please let us know so we can support you as well.

There are so many small towns and communities in the mountains that most of us have never heard of who need our help. It’s not just the cities that are in dire need – but the entire region. Some were even wiped away by the flooding or mudslides and those people will have to completely relocate. Imagine not only losing your home, but your entire community too. It’s heartbreaking.

We have been touched by the number of people in the travel industry that have reached out to us asking how they can help. We have created a page on our website with links to resources to help at https://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/gtn-cares.

The needs will change over the coming weeks and months. It will take months – and in some cases years – for the area to recover from this storm. We are committed to being here for the long-haul providing whatever help we can.

We can’t solve the problem, but we can help. On our GTN Cares page, we have outlined several ways to help. We aren’t stopping here. Currently we are collecting items that are needed in western NC and dropping them off to various organizations who are transporting them to where they are needed most. If you want to contribute by purchasing from the list of needs on the GTN Cares page, send your package to us at 197 Medical Park Road, Suite 202, Mooresville, NC 28117. We will take it from there.

As the recovery continues, our efforts to support will evolve based on the needs at the time. We will keep you updated via our social channels and our email newsletters. Sandy Saburn and Shannon Cunningham are going to take a lead role in organizing our response and you can reach out to either of them with questions. And again, the site to donate is https://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/gtn-cares.

Thank you for your support during this time of crisis.