Crew from Cove Helps Out North Carolina Farmers in Need

A caravan of hay, cattle feed, fencing supplies, food, hygiene kits, and other essentials left the Cove on Monday morning, November 25, at 5 a.m. It was all a part of an effort organized by Lila Sollenberger of Curryville to help victims of Hurricane Helene in parts of North Carolina. 

"Our family was on vacation at Myrtle Beach when the hurricane happened," Sollenberger said. "When we got home on September 25, we listened to the news and I had this feeling that I needed to do something to help."

She started by finding a website for North Carolina Extension and signed up to house livestock if needed, even if they were far away.

Her husband, Wes, suggested they take down hay since many of the farmers and ranchers lost all their feed supplies.

Wes made a phone call to Wade Harclerode at Corle Homestead Farm to purchase eight large squares of hay,

"Well, how about I just donate it?" he said.

Then Lila sent a group text to the entire Sollenberger family and they all jumped on board.

After receiving the positive support of her family, Lila made a post on Facebook to see if any other farms would be willing to donate hay, and the response was overwhelming. 

Hay donations were received from Corle Homestead Farm (Wade Harclerode), Hill Crest Farms (Andrew Kammerer), Pleasant View Farm, Toby Holley, Joe Spicher, Point View Farm, and others who wished to remain anonymous. 

Coordinating the hay donations was quite a job. The Sollenberger crew picked up most of the hay and stored it out of the weather until they were ready to leave. Following that, 

Lila said her husband and brother-in-law Gravy did a lot of coordinating to get the trucks and trailers that were donated for them to use for the trip. These were all donated by Garmin Brothers Construction, Garmin Brothers Seafood, Ken Wertz Septic and Hauling, Drew Albright, Sollenberger Farms, Randy Acker, Kulp Family Dairy, and Reihart's.

Lila's posts on social media garnered a major response from many Cove residents wanting to help in other ways as well. 

"People started giving cash donations, so I opened an account at Hometown Bank in Woodbury under Hurricane Relief/Lila Sollenberger," she said. "We used funds from that account to purchase $3,400 worth of fencing supplies, plus a half-ton of cattle feed, a new chainsaw, items for Thanksgiving dinners, buddy heaters, propane canisters, and electric blankets." 

Other food and household items were donated by individuals and businesses including Bridenbaugh's Market, Friends Farm, Rachel Martin, First Baptist Church of Altoona, Naomi's Nursery Blessings, KRC Trucking, and Salem Reformed Church. 

BCO donated fuel cards and Sollenberger Farms donated money for fuel as well. Drivers of the trucks/trailers included: Wes Sollenberger, Jarod Sollenberger, Garret Sollenberger, Gravy Hoover, Grace Kulp, Kristy Bigelow, Caulin Metzler, Bill Wagner, and Neil Becker. 

Lila worked with the Extension office and local churches in Ash County, North Carolina to locate farms and drop-off points where the items would be distributed to those who needed them most. 

One of those farmers was Kermit "Chuck" Clark of Lansing, North Carolina. "Farmer Chuck" as he prefers to be called, is a 67-year-old beef farmer who also raises cabbage, potatoes, and sweet corn. 

"I farm with my brother, and my 94-year-old father also tinkers around the farm too," he said. "We were fortunate that we didn't lose any cattle, but the produce was ruined. It stayed in the ground, but the flood waters rushed over it and it was ruined because of the sewage and other contamination in the water."

Farmer Chuck's father has been alive long enough to remember the other two major floods to hit their area.

"We had a flood in 1940 and another in 1977," he said. "Both of those had deeper water covering the county, but neither of them brought the devastation that this one did." 

Farmer Chuck feels fortunate.

"We fared pretty well compared to some of our neighbors," he said. "I have one neighbor whose house slid thirty yards down the hillside and was stopped short of the flooded river by the tree line. They've been denied funding from FEMA twice now and have been told it's because it wasn't flooding specifically that caused the damage to their home. They've appealed it again, but I don't know what they're going to do." 

Chuck received feed for his beef cattle and fencing supplies. 

"Once I get the fence put back up along the creek, things will feel almost normal again. We were fortunate – there are lots of folks much worse off than us." 

The other drivers and those riding along on the trip can attest to the extreme devastation in the other areas of North Carolina they delivered to. Rita Biddle is Lila's sister, and she shared that the standard of living differed majorly from town to town, so the needs were greater in some areas. 

"We were in Creston and some of those folks have almost nothing," Biddle said. "Part of the load in my trailer was some blankets that we delivered Monday night. Tuesday morning we returned to the same fire hall to volunteer our time, and a lady was walking across the parking lot wrapped in one of those blankets – she was practically singing and skipping her way across. A warm blanket was all it took to make her so happy."

The Sollenberger crew is planning additional runs to North Carolina in mid-December as well as February. Anyone interested in donating items or their time is encouraged to contact Lila at 814-381-5796. The account at Hometown Bank is still open as well, and Lila shared that folks have still been actively donating. The December trip will include electrical work and more volunteer duties in some Creston, Ash County homes. February will possibly include another delivery of hay and feed supplies as well as working to build raised beds for the locals. 

"So much of the ground has been contaminated, and a lot of them grow their vegetables or sell them, so it's another way we can help," said Lila.