Pennsylvania Amish Build 12 Houses In Less Than Two Days For North Carolina Hurricane Victims

Say what you want about the Amish but they can get things done. The saga of hurricane recovery in western North Caroline seems to be dragging on as slowly as you'd expect. While reports of zero federal government assistance to the area are at times drastically overstated, there's no denying that the extensive damage done by Hurricane Helene back in September is proving to be even more difficult to bounce back from that was expected. People from all walks of life have banded together to do what they can to support the efforts to rebuild communities lost in the storms. In country music, Luke Combs and Eric Church helped put together a massive benefit concert which raised $24 million, all of which was sent to "hyper local charities originating & operating in WNC" according to a statement from Luke. Other country artists, such as 49 Winchester, also played benefit shows where the proceeds were sent directly to those in need, while Dolly Parton pledged $1 million, and many others got involved in sending and delivering supplies to the people who needed them most, but as time drags on, the need for something more than money became more evident. In short, people need housing and they need it now. It's never a good thing to be forced to sleep in tents or other makeshift structures, but not that January is basically upon us, the need for housing is ever more evident. Lowes and NASCAR teamed up to deliver over 100 tiny homes and just now a story is breaking that an unlikely group of people went way out of their way to pitch in.

Pennsylvania Amish To The Rescue

According to the High Country Press, members of an Amish community in Central Pennsylvania heard about the devastation left behind by the hurricane when a local resident visited Western North Carolina and returned to tell the tale. They then reached out to Andy Owens, who had established a base camp in the Meat Camp Area of Watauga County. Owens helped to coordinate the project but the Amish were the ones who collected money, supplies, and laborers and volunteered themselves to the Boone, NC community. 62 men, women, and children made the trip by bus, followed by five trailers filled with building supplies, tools, and equipment. (In general, the Amish avoid using modern technology but there are various exceptions and work arounds which I assume the used to serve the greater good). They arrived around noon on Tuesday, December 17th and immediately got to work, having eight (!) housing structures erected by 5pm that day. https://twitter.com/Liberty_Xtreme/status/1873861198405419096 While the men and boys worked construction, the women and girls prepared and served food, as well as passed out pallets of toys and clothing they had brought to those in need. https://twitter.com/angelanashtn/status/1852042183718609241 By the time the Amish loaded back onto the bus the following evening (less than 2 days after arriving), all 12 structures donated by an Amish-owned business were completed, only needing the finishing touches of electric work and the like to have them fully ready to go. The Amish also brought and left behind 20 propane tanks, many tools, and five pallets of fire department supplies for local rescue workers. All in all, Andy Ownes believe the total cost was around $300,000, every penny of which was furnished by the Amish. "The Amish do not like to draw attention to themselves and they don’t do anything for publicity. They came as volunteers to help folks who have been displaced by the hurricane. Hopefully, they left knowing they made a significant contribution to life here in the High Country."  Big shoutout to the Central PA Amish community. I grew up not too far from those guys and while you can make all sorts of jokes about their beliefs or distain for electricity or whatever, but you absolutely cannot question the fact that they take their role on this Earth seriously. They travelled hundreds of miles to work pretty much non-stop for two day so people they never and will never meet will have a roof to sleep under. That is what making a difference looks like. That's what taking care of other humans looks like. I think we can all learn a lot from the Amish in general, but especially from this situation, which is truly one of the best examples of humanity we've seen in awhile. https://twitter.com/NobodymrRobert/status/1874128988429558057