BY DONNA SWICEGOOD

If anyone has learned the value of community support in the last few months, it’s the folks who call Ashe County home.

After flooding from Hurricane Helene washed away roads and homes, leaving a path of devastation in its wake, neighbors rallied to help each as they began the long recovery process.

Churches and civic organizations in Iredell County are also helping support Ashe County residents who have suffered tremendous losses as a result of the unprecedented flooding.

Earlier this month members of Cool Springs Community Church presented the proceeds of a couple of fundraisers to Junior Seatz, the chief at Creston Fire Department in Ashe County.

The stunned look in Junior Seatz’s eyes and the tears that followed were the culmination of a journey that began in September when Hurricane Helene struck Ashe County.

Seatz and several other fire department members and residents were moved by the efforts of the small Iredell County church.

A fabric sale and a yard sale raised $57,000 for the fire department, which is still working to help its community bounce back from from Hurricane Helene.

“I am overwhelmed,” Seatz said after receiving the check from Cool Springs Community Church last Saturday.

Pastor Darren Custer said the idea of raising money to help the fire department began with Billy Hobbs, a member of Cool Spring Ruritan Club, mentioned a recent effort to help a church in Ashe County. A national Ruritan grant, funds from a pinto bean supper at Oakdale Baptist Church and donations from the Cool Springs and Troutman Ruritan club raised $8,000 for Riverview Missionary Baptist Church in Ashe County.

The conversation with Hobbs sparked an idea for Custer.

“What if we have a small fabric sale?” Custer said, recalling the impetus for the fundraising effort.

Donations of fabric poured in, filling the fellowship hall and flowing into other parts of the church. When the proceeds from the sale were tallied, the total was an astounding $45,000.

The first weekend in May the church held its annual yard sale aimed at raising money for scholarships but also decided to donate some of the proceeds to Creston, bringing the total to $57,000.

The nearly $60,000 brought in by the various organizations is the perfect example of community service, Hobbs, the vice president of Cool Spring Ruritan said.

Hobbs said their involvement began in the weeks after Hurricane Helene when club members teamed up with Grill 4 God (G4G) to feed people in the hurricane-stricken area. Tyson donated the chicken and G4G and Cool Spring Ruritan members served meals in the area.

Brad Bullock, director of G4G, said they fed around 200 people on that trip, which he called a prime example of the value of partnerships.

While there, Hobbs said, they learned of the plight of Riverview Missionary Baptist Church. The main sanctuary was spared of major damage but the church’s basement was totally flooded, said Karla Blevins of Missionary Baptist Church.

The damage was extensive with water rising five feet in the basement, swamping everything in its path, she said. The church applied for funds from FEMA but were denied because they are a religious organization, Blevins said. They were told the church could get a small business loan but that was something the church didn’t want to take on.

Because the damage was due to flooding, the damage was not covered by insurance.

But thanks to efforts of folks in Iredell as well as elsewhere, Blevins said, the church is on its way to getting back to normal.

“It’s been a blessing,” she said. “God keeps providing.”

Recently members of the church came to the Cool Spring Ruritan Club meeting to pick up an $8,000 check. It was a chance to say thank you in person and to establish bonds that will endure for years.

“Those people are the best people I’ve ever met,” Blevins said.

Seatz agreed with that assessment as he held the check from Cool Spring Community Church.

“We appreciate you,” he said.

The money will go a long way in paying for repairs and getting people back into their homes.

“There are no words,” Seatz said.

In addition to the much-needed financial donations, the church also presented homemade quilts to their new Ashe County friends.

“God blew away our expectations,” Custer said.