COSBY, Tenn. — John and Nan Sowieja traveled from their home in Willard, WI to the Cosby area on a trip dedicated to helping those affected by Hurricane Helene.
It's the couple's second road trip since Helene hit East Tennessee and western North Carolina on Sept. 27. Their first trip was about a week after the storm.
"God put it in our hearts," John said.
Nan said they brought 400 lbs. worth of food with them on this trip. They gave it to the Newport-based charity, "The Breadbasket." They're going to help with at least one home reconstruction. Nan will also focus on helping at aid distribution centers. John, a professional handyman, will seek out ways to use his skillset, along with aiding in missing-person searches.
They followed a similar path on their first trip in early October. They hauled a 28-foot-long trailer filled with supplies their friends and neighbors in Willard donated to them. They handed those supplies out for over a week while seeking any opportunity to help, both in East Tennessee and in western North Carolina, they said.
Helene's destruction left them speechless, but so did the charity of their neighbors in their small hometown.
"We parked on main street, and it was non-stop for at least two hours, with people waiting to hand us stuff to put on the trailer," John said.
Nan said she has used social media to post updates about their journeys and network with anyone who might want to help. Friends, neighbors and strangers have donated about $5,000 for them to spend on supplies for those in need. They have spent some of that on water-purifying Lifestraws, among other things.
They said nothing could have prepared them for the reality of Hurricane Helene's destruction. They worry about those who still have to sleep outside as colder temperatures settle into the region.
They said that's why they're considering another trip sometime in 2025.
