Volunteers Cook 5,000 Thanksgiving Meals For Hurricane Victims In North Carolina

As tens of thousands of Americans in Western North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and additional regions continue to struggle with the fallout from Hurricane Helene, neighbors are stepping up to help each other through the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thousands of Americans have been reduced to living in tents since the storm barreled through the area this past fall. Hundreds were killed as a result of landslides and flooding that came about after the storm dumped record amounts of rain in Appalachian regions.  The National Weather Center has described the devastation as a “once in 1,000-year flooding event.”

David Burke, 59, took it upon himself to help out his fellow North Carolinians, even though he lives more than 300 miles from the most affected regions.

Burke, a father of two, initially planned to cook 1,000 meals for state residents who had lost loved ones or are unable to enjoy the holiday as a result of widespread damage. When his community in Avery County got wind of the idea, upwards of 200 volunteers stepped forward, giving Burke and his team the ability to cook at least 5,000 meals.

“You would be amazed at just how many people have shown up here to come help this little old guy when all he really wanted to do was go out there and cook 1,000 meals and come home and nobody would ever know a thing about it,” Burke told CNN. “The experience has already has changed me, there’s no question about it. It confirms for me any doubts I ever had in my own faith.”

🚨:Operation Thanksgiving Blessings — Meet David Burke! A man with a goal of feeding +5 thousand folks across WNC on November 28th, 2024! Please read + share!🚨

Pictured is David Burke. One Sunday sermon brought him the mission to feed the survivors + locals of WNC. 🖤🦃 (1/?) pic.twitter.com/wu4wm0z0Nk

— Savage 🏴‍☠️ (@QueenOfRespawn) November 13, 2024

Burke felt compelled to help after listening to a Sunday sermon just two days after the storm ravaged the region on September 27. An experienced cook, Burke then devised a plan to provide turkeys, hams, pork, as well as traditional southern side dishes such as stew, collard greens, potatoes, dressing, cornbread and an assortment of homemade desserts, for affected residents in a Thanksgiving Day feast.

“I’ve seen the devastation these people have been faced with. We know that there are people still living in tents and trying to stay warm. People don’t have anything. Some people had their homes being washed away in the river, and then there’s so many people still missing in certain places,” Burke told CNN. “What do you do about that? All we can do is go out there and do what we know to do and try to help people as much as we can.”

As the days went on, Burke browsed Facebook and connected with other members of his community who wanted to help out fellow North Carolinians in the state’s western half. Over time, they combined their efforts and locked down plans for the feast.

For several weeks, volunteers raised funds, and collected donations for necessities such as baby food and winter clothing, first aid kits and children’s toys. The aid will continue to be distributed for the foreseeable future.

Volunteers stand in front of a truckload of supplies destined for heavily affected areas

“I have a better perspective that there is still good in the world, and that giving back is even more important than ever,” Angie Wade Acree, one of the organizers of Operation Thanksgiving Blessings, told CNN.

“Our hope and prayer is that people with will read the story and realize that they can step up and help people in their own community, and that it takes starting with your neighbors to help each other.”