Efforts in Western North Carolina continued last weekend in Mill Spring, where Judy lost the home she was building to Hurricane Helene. Fallen trees still covered her property, limiting access. Some had been cleared in the months after the storm, but others remained, heavy, tangled, and in the way of moving forward.

 

That is where our volunteers came in.

Grounded Boots Relief showed up with people willing to work. Not simply to check a box, but to put in real labor. Saw work, hauling, clearing, moving. The kind of work that is measured in sweat, time, and persistence. Our team cut and removed two large pine trees, opening up access that had been blocked since the storm.

 

This is the part that does not always make headlines. It is not flashy. It is not quick. But it matters. Because behind every cleared tree is a homeowner trying to rebuild, trying to take the next step forward.

 

To our volunteers: this is your work. Your time, your effort, your willingness to show up and handle what is in front of you. It is the reason progress happens.

 

And it does not go unnoticed.

Because Grounded Boots Relief is a young organization, growth has come quickly, especially within our leadership team. Strong, qualified leadership creates structure, allowing new volunteers to step into defined roles instead of figuring things out on their own. Below is a condensed look at the team driving that forward. Full bios are available on our website.

  

 

John S. Badger, Founder & Executive Director
Leads overall strategy, operations, and partnerships. John’s background spans high-pressure environments including logistics, operations, and resource management, where adaptability and decision-making under pressure are critical. He founded Grounded Boots Relief following Hurricane Helene to address gaps in early-stage disaster access and coordination, and continues to focus on building scalable, field-ready systems that integrate with response partners.

 

Sarah Barat, Co-Founder & Vice President
Supports governance, communications, and operational continuity. With years of experience in emergency communications and a background in 9-1-1 dispatch, Sarah brings real-world crisis coordination experience. Her understanding of communication flow, prioritization, and decision-making under pressure ensures organizational consistency and alignment.

 

John Finley, Interim Chairman
Provides strategic and operational oversight. John brings more than 30 years of experience in technology and operations, specializing in real-time systems, disaster recovery, and business continuity. His experience in scaling organizations and managing complex infrastructure strengthens Grounded Boots Relief’s ability to grow sustainably while maintaining performance.

   

Cayce Johnson, Treasurer and Financial Oversight Advisor
Oversees financial management, compliance, and long-term sustainability. With experience in nonprofit accounting and financial systems, Cayce ensures transparency, regulatory compliance, and responsible allocation of resources. Her work supports credibility with donors, partners, and grantors.

  

Thomas Gioello, Director of Emergency Management Integration
Ensures alignment with emergency management frameworks and coordinated response systems. Thomas is an experienced emergency management professional with a background in healthcare systems planning, regional coordination, and large-scale training exercises. His work ensures Grounded Boots Relief operates within established systems and remains a reliable partner to agencies and EOCs.

Laura Block, Director of Volunteer Operations and Partnerships
Leads volunteer systems, partnerships, and large-scale coordination. Laura brings decades of experience in clinical healthcare, disaster response, and volunteer leadership. Her background includes work with Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and leadership within Team Rubicon and North Carolina VOAD, providing deep expertise in volunteer management and multi-agency coordination.

  

 

Jackie King, Meteorological Risk and Forecasting Advisor
Supports forecasting, risk analysis, and pre-deployment planning. Jackie holds a degree in Meteorology and has professional experience forecasting hazardous weather globally. She specializes in translating complex weather data into actionable insights that inform operational decisions and deployment timing.

 

Jeremy Strutz, Director of Equipment and Asset Readiness
Manages equipment, vehicle readiness, and operational reliability. With over 30 years of experience in automotive repair and a background in mechanical engineering, Jeremy ensures all vehicles and equipment are safe, functional, and deployment-ready in demanding environments.

 

Sherry Strutz, Volunteer Coordinator (Advisory Panel)
Supports volunteer intake, coordination, and engagement. Sherry plays a key role in organizing volunteer flow, onboarding, and communication, helping ensure that volunteers are effectively integrated into operations. (Full bio to be added)

  Nearly 1 in 10 Americans works in the nonprofit sector, making it one of the largest workforces in the country. Even more surprising, nonprofits contribute over $1.4 trillion to the U.S. economy each year. This is a major economic force quietly shaping communities nationwide.  
Source: oneeleuthera.org

  

It has never been a competition, and it has never been about recognition. Still, it is hard not to notice the contrast in how this work is done and how it is portrayed. In Western North Carolina, we have watched large, well-funded organizations arrive, operate for a stretch, and then step away while work was still unfinished. When they return, it is often framed as expansion, when in reality it is a restart. That gap between perception and reality stands out. Not because of credit, but because long-term recovery depends on consistency, not timing.

Grounded Boots Relief was built in that gap. We have been here, steadily working with what we have, long after the initial attention moved on. The work did not stop, and neither did we. There is no surge cycle for the families still dealing with the aftermath. There is only what gets done, and who is willing to keep showing up. If you are familiar with the parable of the widow’s mite, that comparison would not be far off. We may not have much, but what we bring, we bring fully. No spotlight required. Though, for the record, we would not object to one occasionally.

Behind the scenes, the organization is growing in the right ways. Our Board of Directors and Advisory Panel continue to expand, and for the first time, I am successfully handing off some of the many hats I have been wearing. Conversations are happening without me, decisions are forming organically, and the organization is beginning to function as a system rather than a single voice with a loudspeaker. That is both a relief and a sign that we are building something sustainable.

We currently hold two leadership meetings each month. One is structured and official. The other is intentionally unstructured, designed to let ideas move freely. In practice, I have still been showing up with an agenda, because we are new and every conversation seems to generate three more that could reshape everything. The goal is to eventually earn truly unstructured meetings. For now, these sessions are accelerating progress in ways I could not have anticipated, even if they occasionally resemble organized chaos.