NORTH CAROLINA, USA — A High Point retirement community helped fellow retirement communities in western North Carolina. The assistance they offered came in what many would call a mundane task, yet it made a big difference.
After Hurricane Helene hit, Pennybyrn, a retirement community in High Point sought ways to help communities like them to the west. It found a need for clean laundry due to lack of water. Therefore, Pennybyrn jumped into action sending six staff members to wash, dry, and fold at Brooks- Howell, a retirement community in Asheville.
Staff ended up washing eight days worth of laundry, amounting to about 900 lbs. of linens and clothing. Shane Bunnell, was one who washed, dried, and folded.
"It's easy to get caught up in the day to day, but to actually go and do something like this and volunteer and help another community and help another area that was affected, it really brings what the true meaning of life is and why we do what we do at the end of the day," Bunnell recalled.
While Bunnell and staff helped out at the Asheville retirement home, they learned of Brooks-Howell staff who lost cars, homes, and loved ones. Wanting to lift their spirits, Pennybyrn took its mission to the next level. It decided to raise money for staff gift bags, it ended up raising more money than anticipated.
"By Saturday morning I had more than my goal, Saturday evening I'm thinking wow, by Monday morning I am just sobbing actually because it's just such an amazing outpouring of love from our residents and from our staff," said Pennybyrn Vice President, Vonda Hollingsworth.
Pennybyrn said its original goal was to raise about $4,000, it ended up raising nearly $16,000 in two days. Extra funds allowed them to give more care packages to another retirement community in Fairview.