HAW RIVER, N.C. — Three Helene-impacted families in western North Carolina are now one step closer to recovery.
Mebane native Laura Ridge created the "Restock the Flock" mission to bring chickens to families who lost their flock in the devastating hurricane.
Through the support of the community, families from Spruce Pine, Burnsville and Weaverville were able to restock their flock.
"It is truly such a blessing to be able to help out in any way possible. For all that people have been through and to see how resilient they are is just inspiring," said Ridge.
Restock the Flock recipients
ORIGINAL STORY:
It's been weeks since Helene swept through the western part of our state. The damage and devastation is still being felt by communities. Farmers in particular lost livestock to the flooding.
One Triad woman is helping to 'Restock the Flock'.
"My grandpa, Curry Ridge was his name. He had a farm, and they raised everything they ate basically. So, my dad, Johnny Ridge, we kind of carried on that tradition through the years," said Laura Ridge, a Mebane native on a mission to help families in Western North Carolina.
From one tradition to the next, today, Laura Ridge wants to help those in need and she is doing it one chicken egg at a time.
"I know people probably lost not just their pets but their flocks of chickens that provide their meat, eggs or whatever even if it's just a pet. So I thought, hey, I've got all these resources, why not use it?" Ridge said.
Ridge posted a flyer on Facebook doing just that for families like the Atkins family who lost almost everything to Helene.
"Our biggest loss is actually the barn. We have quite a bit of wind damage to our barn and we're having to do some, a lot of structural work right now and we did not find all of our chickens and our coop was also damaged. Unfortunately, our rooster is gone," Hope Atkins, a Mitchell County native and Buck Ridge Farmer, said.
Atkins says Ridge's efforts are inspiring from one farmer to another.
"I feel like farmers have been forgotten and the population of farmers in a whole is really going down. So I think it's important for us to support each other," Atkins said.
Ridge says giving back can start small. All you need is some feed, a coop, a rooster or hen, and drive.
"We are NC strong, that's for sure. I've had so many people that want to donate chickens, donate money, help to get the chickens to the families, you know. So, there's been a lot of positive responses and just so many people that are willing and generous to help out," Ridge said.
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