After the remnants of Hurricane Helene triggered devastating flooding in East Tennessee, efforts are underway in Wilson County to lend a hand.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mentally exhausting for these people, especially when they鈥檝e lost their home or they can鈥檛 find people,鈥 Gardens on Main co-owner Jason Moles said. 鈥淭hey can鈥檛 find their animals. They鈥檝e lost their livestock. Their crops are wrecked. They don鈥檛 know where their incomes are coming from. They don鈥檛 know anything. Communities can handle so much, as long as people don鈥檛 forget them.鈥
The owners and staff of Gardens on Main in Lebanon are packing up their team, Bobcat and Ditch Witch machines and heading toward Greeneville.
鈥淚t was really an easy decision,鈥 Moles said.
Within 18 hours, over $5,000 was raised to help the Gardens on Main crew fund its efforts. With them, they鈥檙e bringing five pieces of equipment, around five trailers, a small dump truck and supplies.
鈥淎ll of my guys unanimously said that they鈥檒l all work for free this week and donate all their time for this so that we can put all the money where it needs to go,鈥 Moles said.
A major expense for the Gardens on Main crew will be fuel, both for reaching Greeneville and for operating machines. Moles estimated that the cost of fuel will be around $4,000.
鈥淚f we could hit $10,000-$15,000, I would be amazed,鈥 Moles said. 鈥淎t that point, we can start going through and filling in the gaps for what doesn鈥檛 come in as far as donations go, going out and buying first aid supplies, any personal needs that need to go up there.鈥
The group is still accepting donations through Moles鈥 Venmo: @Jason-Moles-1.
Moles has personal experience with the devastation that hurricanes can bring. His hometown on the Mississippi Gulf Coast was almost destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
鈥淲e were living here when Katrina hit and we took a load down from our church,鈥 Moles said. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen it before firsthand what things are like. I know what everybody up there is going through and how bad it is and how helpless it feels.鈥
Other relief efforts are currently ongoing across Wilson County. The Lebanon Fire Department is hosting a donation center, which is accepting non-perishable food, bottled water, hygiene items, toiletries, diapers and baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, dog food and treats, unused blankets, paper plates, plastic utensils, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies and trash bags.
MJ4Hope is currently accepting monetary donations for those in need and will be working with city leaders to ensure the funds will reach East Tennessee families.
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