After two weather driven reschedules, Sunday, January 11 finally allowed us to address an access problem in Edneyville. Wanda (previously referred to as Trisha until she gave permission to use her name), could not move her mobile home onto her property because dense rhododendrons and storm debris blocked the only viable path. Without access, nothing else could move forward. Our crew cut and collected logs, cleared vegetation, and opened a usable corridor through the growth. That work created the access needed so her home can be moved once the property survey is complete. Final clearing will be handled by another entity commissioned through the Disaster Recovery Program, but this step removed a critical barrier that had kept everything else stalled.

Saturday, January 17 brought a different set of challenges. Bill and Donna lost their driveway during Helene, cutting off reliable entry to their home. While that driveway has since been rebuilt, the storm left behind another serious and less obvious problem. Logs were portioned and left above the creek that runs through their property. In a heavy rain, those logs could have easily shifted, dammed the waterway, and triggered renewed flooding with downstream consequences.

With the support of Lutheran Disaster Response, we addressed that risk directly. Crews ran saws, moved timber, and split a substantial volume of logs, stacking firewood to roughly six feet tall while clearing the creek corridor. The result was twofold: A real hazard was removed, and storm damage was converted into a usable resource instead of a future problem waiting to happen.

These two sites reflect the scope of long term recovery work. Sometimes the obstacle is obvious, like blocked access that keeps someone from moving forward. Other times it is a quiet risk that has not failed yet, but will, if ignored. Both require planning, skill, and people willing to show up and handle it properly.

Looking ahead, our next Grounded Boots Relief volunteer day is January 31 and will focus on tying up loose ends. We will revisit previous sites, remove remaining debris, collect logs suitable for firewood, and close out tasks that need a final, deliberate push. This will be a small, nimble crew, likely fitting into the Colorado, with room for another vehicle if someone is willing to drive. At the same time, we will continue supporting an ongoing operation clearing a cemetery in Asheville.

This is what steady recovery looks like. Identifying problems. Taking control of the terrain. Reducing risk. Making the next step possible.

When people see Grounded Boots Relief in the field, they usually see chainsaws running, all-terrain vehicles moving, and volunteers getting work done. What is less visible is what it takes to keep that pace sustainable.

 

On most workdays, engines are running nearly nonstop from arrival through closeout. Fuel costs add up quickly. Equipment needs maintenance. Lunch has to be provided if volunteers are going to sacrifice their days off and exert copious amounts of energy. Beyond the field, there are the less exciting but necessary costs that keep the organization functioning at all. Storage, internet, software, insurance, and communications all matter if we want to be ready when the next call comes in.

 

We have been fortunate to receive grants specifically supporting long term recovery, and we take stewardship of those funds seriously. They are doing exactly what they were intended to do. At the same time, many of our other needs are not tied to a specific program or disaster. That is where unrestricted funding becomes critical. It allows us to fuel vehicles, feed crews, cover overhead, and respond flexibly when situations do not fit neatly into a grant category.

 

This is why individual donations still matter, even small ones. Public support gives us the freedom to keep moving, adapt quickly, and invest where the need is most immediate. If you are in a position to contribute (tax-deductible), you can support us through our Givebutter page, or by mailing a check, which remains our preferred method, to:

 

Grounded Boots Relief
PO Box 82
Horse Shoe, NC 28742

 

In addition, we are actively looking for someone willing to help with grant writing. This could be a volunteer, a student building experience, or someone able to work at a very modest rate. If that is you, or if you know someone who fits that description, we would love to have a conversation about how to make that work.

 

The work you see happening on the ground is powered by a lot of small, practical decisions behind the scenes. Support, in whatever form it comes, helps keep the engines running and the work moving forward.

  Wet Ground Makes Trees Far More Dangerous
 After heavy rain, saturated soil can loosen tree roots so much that winds well below hurricane strength can cause large trees to topple, turning ordinary storms into deadly events.  
Source: weather.com

Volunteer Work Day: February 7  

I have a desk calendar. One of the large, aggressive ones that takes up half your desk. I bought it in June last year with the optimistic idea that maybe, eventually, I would figure out how to fill it.

 

At first, the pages were mostly empty. Then meetings started appearing. Then deadlines. Then events. Somewhere along the way, the calendar stopped being aspirational and started being documentary evidence. Every month is now visibly fuller than the last. I know this because I keep the old pages after ripping them off, which means I can physically prove this is happening and am not just imagining productivity.

 

The Grounded Boots Relief calendar has followed the same trajectory. This year is about implementation. Not simply planning, dreaming, or “someday we should,” but actually doing the things. And somehow, we are already well into that process. I am not just learning what needs to be done. I am watching it happen in real time, often while wondering how it escalated this quickly.

 

I will admit this sounds a little self congratulatory, which would be uncomfortable for me. Fortunately, none of this is actually about me; My original goal was to raise enough money to buy a chainsaw. That was it. One chainsaw. Now we're working with a UTV, a humanitarian tent, multiple chainsaws, Starlink, a map printer, and a growing equipment list that would have sounded absurd to me a year ago.

 

That did not happen because of me; it happened because people believed in the mission early, showed up, donated, volunteered, and kept saying yes when it mattered. I just happened to be standing nearby when the work needed to start. The supporters and volunteers are the reason any of this exists. They are the ones doing the heavy lifting, often literally.

 

Thank you for believing in me, but more importantly, thank you for believing in Grounded Boots Relief. I am grateful to be here, calendar and all.