Christmas Day 2024
A message to our beloved supporters, from The Foscoe Home Team Board of Directors & Volunteers
This note is to express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your financial gifts to Foscoe Home Team. We deeply appreciate the trust you’ve shown in us by donating, and we have worked diligently and effectively to use these funds to help those in distress and begin the process of recovery from the storm. As a result. we've helped to bring relief, recovery and restoration to many, many people.
This is a story of survival in the North Carolina mountains after Hurricane Helene unleashed torrential rains that caused severe flooding—the likes of which had not been seen in this area in over a thousand years. To recount this extraordinary event: On Thursday, September 26th, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida. By mid-day Friday, the unprecedented storm had moved over Western North Carolina. Over the course of three days, rainfall in the region ranged from 12 inches to more than 31.3 inches. The resulting floods and mudslides devastated small towns along the normally calm creeks and rivers that wind through the mountains.
However, this story isn’t just about the hurricane itself—it’s about the heroic efforts of local residents who responded first to meet the immediate needs of neighbors who lost so much to the storm’s winds and flooding. It’s also about the support, supplies, and volunteers that came from all corners of North Carolina and across the United States.
What started as a few items pulled from a kitchen pantry and set out on a folding table has now grown into a no-cost store located in the Foscoe Community Center. This operation is staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers, including a dedicated director and board members who have been working tirelessly, seven days a week, to serve those in need.
The needs have been immense and diverse—not only food, clothing, and basic household items but also specialized needs like animal feed for horses, sheep, and chickens, electrically heated hoses to prevent freezing overnight, medical care, haircuts, school supplies, and so much more.
While our director, Sherrye Trice, would never seek recognition, we want to take a moment to highlight her extraordinary contributions, as she embodies the spirit and commitment of all our volunteers. Sherrye is an Army veteran and a true leader. She has been instrumental in obtaining the supplies required to meet the needs of local residents, coordinating logistics to move supplies in and out of the community center, organizing volunteers, and providing regular updates via social media. Sherrye has her finger on the pulse of every aspect of relief operations for the area—all as an unpaid volunteer.
Sherrye’s and the Board’s vision for the future is to establish a permanent home for our no-cost store and distribution center, ensuring we can meet the needs of our community for years to come. This storm has shown us that many people are just one paycheck away from danger. Sherrye and the entire team remain committed to continuing this vital work.
The challenges are immense:
Massive losses and critical needs persist.
Many people are working hard to repair their homes, yet insurance is not covering many of these losses.
Jobs have been lost, homes destroyed, cars washed away, and bridges and roads rendered impassable.
Meeting basic needs like food and heat is essential to keeping families alive through the winter.
Thanks to your generous support, and the contributions of others in the form of goods and services, many families have been helped. But there is still so much to do.
Here’s how you can help us continue this work:
Support our ongoing operations by donating Operations.
Share this message with others who may want to help.
Donate to help us with our new building Facilities.
Your generosity makes it possible for us to feed families, keep them warm, and offer hope in the face of immense challenges.
From all of us at Foscoe Home Team—our board, volunteers, and community members—thank you again for your support. Together, we are making a real difference With gratitude and warm wishes for peace, joy, and togetherness this holiday season,
The Foscoe Home Team Board of Directors & Volunteers
