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Giving gifts to those impacted by Hurricane Helene
After seeing Hurricane Helene in North Carolina firsthand. A local man started a drive to get gifts to kids in some of the hardest hit areas. He's calling it the Western North Carolina Santa Project.
BUFORD, Ga. - After seeing Hurricane Helene in North Carolina firsthand, a local man started a drive to get gifts to kids who live in some of the hardest hit areas. He's calling it the Western North Carolina Santa Project.
"I've said it once if I've said it a million times in the last couple of months, but if not us, then who," Michael Foley said.
Buford resident Michael Foley was in North Carolina days after Helene moved through the state in September, causing record-breaking flooding. He helped people in Yancy County, one of the hardest hit areas.
"I don't know exact numbers, but the first 14 hours, we pulled out like 144 people via helicopter," Foley said.
While conditions are improving, he said the need in the area is far from over.
"There's so many good organizations that are rebuilding and basic needs like heat, shelter, food, water," Foley explained. "Not many things are happening for the children, so I just kept asking, you know, ‘What about the children?’" Foley explained.
That's when he connected with Yancy County mom Keira Albert to create an Amazon Wish List for kids from over a dozen families in the impacted area. People have purchased some of those gifts which Foley will take to North Carolina before Christmas.
"It's restored my faith in humanity. I'm going to cry talking about it. Yeah, I can't believe how many people specifically want to help the kids out here," Albert explained.
Keira Albert
Foley also started a GoFundMe to raise extra money to buy any remaining gifts and to fund future needs for kids in the area.
"I was thinking, you know, I'll put them through ballet for a year, or two years, or whatever they need, whatever these children need to not be stuck in this disaster, very scarred area," he said.
He hopes these gifts will help the kids feel a sense of normalcy in an uncertain time.
"I just want to make sure that these kids, even though they've been without power for 44 days and their families are separated, a lot of them are living in tents or school buses or whatever they can do to stay warm and together, I just want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to make Christmas the best it can be for them," Foley explained.
The Source: This is an original report by FOX 5 Atlanta's Kim Leoffler.