NC mother, daughter turn small business into relief center to help victims of Hurricane Helene: ‘Giving hope’

A mother-daughter duo successful occidental North Carolina unopen down their mini business successful precocious September to move it into a full-time alleviation halfway to thief their organization retrieve aft Hurricane Helene’s devastation. Now, complete 1 period later, they’re telling Fox News Digital that their extremity remains nan aforesaid arsenic it did connected time one: to springiness dream to each those affected for arsenic agelong arsenic it takes.

Jen Byland and her daughter, Taylor Lonon, wasted nary clip turning Jimmy & Jean’s Family Entertainment and Arcade, their 70,000 square-foot family intermezo center, into Ashe County’s largest proviso distribution center, wherever families tin besides recharge and get basking meals.

"We didn't mean to do this," Taylor told Fox News Digital. "We started this, we came successful to measure our damages nan time aft nan hurricane and learned that we had power, water, internet, moving room and a large abstraction for kids to tally around."

When Taylor suggested opening nan business up to their section shot team, Jen went 1 measurement further: opening for each of Ashe County.

WHAT DONATION HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS IN WESTERN NC NEED AS SEASONS CHANGE

Talyor Lonon and Jen Byland are co-owners of Jimmy and Jeans Family Entertainment and Arcade successful Ashe County, North Carolina. (Taylor Lonon)

"Within 5 days, our 70,000-square-foot storage was wholly filled pinch supplies," Taylor said. "We've had donations from 38 states now. And they conscionable proceed to flood in."

The mother and girl are starring a squad of volunteers successful collecting and distributing much-needed supplies not only to their organization and others wrong nan state, but to different affected communities successful Virginia and Tennessee that suffered erstwhile nan large wind struck connected Sept. 26.

Donations person poured successful from 38 states. (Taylor Lonon)

About 300 to 400 families a time extremity successful for supplies aliases a basking meal, Jen said, adding that 2 weeks agone nan count of those they’ve straight helped reached astir 4,200 people.

The mother-daughter duo are utilizing their 70,000-square-foot business arsenic a proviso distribution center. (Taylor Lonon)

But nan duo hasn’t been unsocial successful stepping up to help.

"We person a couple, hubby and wife, that person been present from Canada," Jen said. Others person travel from arsenic acold arsenic Texas, Colorado and California to transportation successful astatine nan center.

Volunteers from crossed nan state person travel to thief astatine Jimmy and Jeans pursuing nan storm. (Taylor Lonon)

"We've had different groups travel successful for a week astatine a clip from each complete nan U.S., and it's like, they don't want to leave," Jen said. "They travel successful and they're conscionable like, okay, I'm coming back. I'm going to beryllium backmost successful a month."

Taylor said that successful nan agrarian area wherever they live, galore often find it difficult to inquire others for help.

"We unrecorded successful a very agrarian area, and it has a batch of prideful people," she said. "And to person them locomotion done our doors is difficult enough, you know, it takes a batch for them to inquire for anything, particularly stubborn farmers, you know, that their farms were destroyed and they don't want to inquire for anything." 

Volunteers besides supply affected families pinch basking meals and a chance to recharge. (Taylor Lonon)

"It's very sad," Taylor continued. "And it weighs connected you to spot nan magnitude of emotions that travel done our building successful a day. But it's astonishing watching them. They get successful present and they laughter and they grin and they get what they need, and they time off pinch like, conscionable a small spot much hope, you know."

HURRICANE HELENE: MORE THAN 100 REPORTED DEAD IN NORTH CAROLINA, 9 UNACCOUNTED FOR

Jen and Taylor opportunity that in-demand items see battery-powered heaters for those who person mislaid their homes and are surviving successful tents, medicine for flu and acold season and items for nan rebuilding stage, specified arsenic dehumidifiers, building gloves and tools, and bleach to get free of mold.

"Just benignant of deliberation astir that, okay, my location is damaged. What do I request to put it back? And that's nan needs we're trying to capable now," Jen said, adding that basal needs specified arsenic nutrient and h2o person beautiful overmuch been met. A database of existent needs is posted connected nan Jimmy & Jean’s Family Entertainment and Arcade Facebook page.

The halfway distributes supplies crossed North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. (Taylor Lonon)

When Fox News Digital asked nan duo what would hap to their business if it continued to enactment closed, Jen and Taylor said they collaborated pinch a nonprofit for monetary donations to thief screen expenses, and a institution offered to lucifer donations dollar-for-dollar up to $250,000.

"When group say, well, what do you need? What are your needs? And our consequence is, arsenic agelong arsenic nan supplies tin support coming and we tin support nan lights on, we're going to enactment unfastened and proceed not only to serve our community, but immoderate organization that's successful need," Taylor said.

Jen said that nan squad is "in this for nan agelong run," and are already readying a Thanksgiving and Christmas project, arsenic good arsenic creating their ain nonprofit called nan Hub of Hope.

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"We're giving hope," Jen said. "Everybody that comes successful here, our extremity is for them to time off pinch a small much dream than they came done nan doors with."