UPDATE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2024

DONATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR BRAD’S TRIP,
BUT WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND GIVING TO THIS ORGANIZATION:

VIDEO UPDATES:

Tuesday, October 8 - SUPPLIES DROP OFF
Wednesday, October 9 - MORNING PACK OUT
Wednesday, October 9 - ABOUT BRAD - WHAT MIGHT HE DO
Thursday, October 10 - UPDATE DONORS AND ARRIVAL
Friday, October 11-Saturday, October 12 - UPDATES ON FACEBOOK @TeamNelzen and BELOW:

UPDATES ON TRIP & AID

Saturday NIGHT, October 12, 2024 (View Post)

UPDATE SATURDAY NIGHT & DONATION UPDATE -- Brad was going to head to the store one more time tomorrow (it is a far distance away and takes up most of the day), but he got recruited for a search & rescue team to go back into the mountains where the landslides are and supposedly there is a community that hasn't been helped, yet at all. (!!)

Please pray for the search and rescue team that they find the missing people or somehow gain more information.

If you still want to donate, then we highly recommend donating to this orphanage and foster home. Brad was there - it was legit and they are in one of the worst areas. Black Mountain area has still boil all of their water in order to consume it and you can learn more here:

> DONATE: https://www.blackmountainhome.org/

TODAY -- Brad spent a good bit of today going out on "missions" or travel with a buddy to a specific addresses that has a specific need. He went to check on a man on a medical need recommendation and the man was in good health. They only go into the mountains with at least one other person as some of the communities are very remote. He has been sleeping in his car this whole time and did confirm it's getting cold. People are concerned about the heat and those that are still without electricity and water and roads to get to supply distribution sites.

There are tons of supplies, but UNTIL the infrastructure (roads, power, phone, water) is fixed, the supplies can' easily get to those that need them most.

I do not know what our federal government is doing about the infrastructure and he has still not seen or heard of any Federal government teams doing anything besides providing some distribution sites. Again, he has only seen volunteers, locals, and county/local government trying to clear roads, figure out water, UN-BURY power lines from the mud and debris.

In Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus praises his followers who saw people in need and responded in love. That's what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus: observing the needs around us, assessing our resources, and giving what we're able.

Saturday Morning 1, October 12, 2024 (View Post)

No wasting time this morning! Good morning from Brad's "parking lot volunteer meeting" (that's just what I'm calling it) where they are directing people to the specific places that are in need on tractors, buggies, quads, and whatever can move! All volunteers are people who have traveled to help from all over the country and locals! Brad said there were quite a few he met from our GREAT Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!

SATURDAY MORNING 2, October 12, 2024 (View Post)

This is one of the places that your generosity has affected. Our donors -- YOU -- purchased several shelving units that they needed, you gave $500 towards recovery for their displaced families, as well as 50 Chic-fil-A gift cards from Wexford Chic-fil-A. Thank you Kelly Rutter for confirming (even ahead of you knowing Brad was there!!!) that God has put this specific organization on your heart for us to look at. Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth & Families Sarah Nelsen Atlas Art NCC Group

FRIDAY Night, October 11, 2024 (View Post)

2 Updates below: Disclaimer - This is NOT a political post, just what he is observing. This is just one person's experience and observations. He has been around some parts of Asheville, Waynesville, and Black Mountain and in between all of those and driving distances to Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes... but he has driven quite a bit of ground and has not seen federal government. The LOCAL governments have been doing an incredible job -- as best they can. No FEMA that he has seen, although there ARE several distribution sites according to their website. We are thinking the federal government is helping more with the infrastructure issues (roads, power, water)? I do know the military / National Guard have been active and providing as much as they have been directed to do -- Brad HAS seen some military vehicles.

UPDATE 9:45pm - Yay - I could finally hear him on the phone! I think he was up high so his service was better -- Several Shelving units purchased for Black Mountain Home for their supplies to serve their residents. Generator bought for Red Truck Ministry as they go out on missions. He found a huge "parking lot of volunteers" where there are people from all over gathering to help. There are a ton of supplies in this parking lot community/gathering of volunteers --- people are sleeping in tents next to their trailers that have supplies or in their cars. He said there are a ton of volunteers!! Each day they go out on "missions" -- where they go to residences or homes and deliver what is needed. Many are Christ-followers and serving there as a ministry. There are quads, tractors, trucks, anything that can move it seems and get around through tough roads.

He met some medical volunteers and may go with them tomorrow on some missions out to residences. The first man we gave generator to had several people living around them in tents who had lost their homes - so they will all benefit - he also got them an extension cord and a charcoal grill (I think).

He went with a few other guys to a woman's home that had flooded and they cleared all of the boxes, etc out of her basement. Others were trying to suck water out with a vacuum.

It is getting cold and many still don't have heat -- there is a man who is helping with making Barrel heaters/fires (not sure of the term) to give out.

As I mentioned above - at this point it seems there are plenty of distribution sites of water / food / personal care --- BUT THE WORK NEEDED NOW IS -- CLEARING OF DEBRIS / RESTORING WATER, POWER, PHONE LINES / CLEARING ROADS and REBUILDING ROADS. He has seen many roads or places there used to be roads and nearly every place he has been is still no electricity or water.

FRIDAY MORNING, October 11, 2024 (View Post)

I apologize for the delay, but Brad's cell reception is VERY SPOTTY, so when I talk to him I get bits and pieces and now I hopefully have the blanks as accurate as I could hear from him!

- Brad rolled into his first DROP yesterday morning @ Black Mountain Methodist Church. They were THRILLED with the Truckload of SUPPLIES ALL THE WAY FROM PITTSBURGH!!! You guys rock! Black Mountain United Methodist Church Please check out their Facebook page and scroll to see how they have been involved.

- He met the RED TRUCK MINISTRY based out of Lynchburg, VA (https://www.redtruckministry.org) and asked Brad if he could get these as they were going out and clearing trees all day and needed chainsaw stuff as theirs was worn out and also asked for providing water filters.

- TONS OF Chainsaw Blades, Chainsaw Gas, Chainsaw maintenance supplies - purchased @ Lowe's / Walmart

- TONS OF Water Filters for the Tap water ONCE it comes back on b/c many parts still don't have water, but when it comes on, it needs to be filtered - he purchased every single one that was left @ the local Walmart

- Orphanage Recovery in Black Mountain, NC. This area was hit REALLY bad - We donated $500 of your donations to them and Brad has been there in person. FB - Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth & Families and please look at their website: https://www.blackmountainhome.org

- Chic Fil A of WEXFORD donated 50 (!) full meal gift cards and they are going DIRECTLY TO THE ORFANAGE! #chicfila Thank you @MindyCooper - manager of Wexford Chic Fil A

- Brad went down to the main river area in Asheville and saw a guy in a tent - he asked if that was his house up on the hill and the man said NO - my house (the entire house) got swept away, so he was living in his tent. YOU GUYS BOUGHT HIM A GENERATOR! He is happy - SEE PIC!

- Brad said there are some areas of Asheville that don't look bad at all and other pockets that are REALLY bad... so, at first glance you might not think it's too bad, but then you'll find an area that is obliterated.

- DICK'S Sporting Goods Dick's Sporting Goods House of Sport in Ross Twp. donated over 100 water bottles, cooling towels and ice packs -- Brad is giving these out to the local volunteers who have been there working

MORE TO COME - see pics!

#atlasartlove #helene #pittsburgh #chicfila #dickssportinggoods #dickshouseofsport

[update] 3 Ways You DID help in Relief Efforts!!

Brad is headed to Asheville, NC TOMORROW! Wednesday, Oct 9-15, 2024

1. 
   Here is a list of some of the volunteer opportunities Brad in contact with. He is an ICU / ER RN currently at the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh and a US Navy Veteran (11 years of service) with experience helping in a US disaster relief area (Hurricane Katrina for several weeks) https://www.wcu.edu/discover/campus-services-and-operations/emergency-services/hurricane-helene-relief.aspx

   UPDATE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2024

   1. DONE! We FILLED BRAD’S TRUCK! It all got safely to NC and the hands of people that needed them!

   2. Donations to Brad’s Trip are CLOSED. We raised $6570! Still want to donate? Visit https://www.blackmountainhome.org

   3. Purchase Atlas Art Products on this VERY site.

      1. 100% of Net Profit Until October 31, 2024 will be donated to Black Mountain Home, Black Mountain, NC (see above).

      2. USE CODE: LOCAL to pick up your purchase at our house in Wexford. Email sarah@atlasartpress.com with questions.

FROM BRAD: “My plans right now are to respond to the urgent need of volunteers in Asheville. I don’t know what I will be doing exactly, but I’m taking a lot of tools and my scrubs in case I’m needed in a hospital setting to use my nursing ICU and ER experience. I will have my chainsaw if we need to clear trees and will be ready for whatever is needed. Any amount or donation will make a difference to someone in the crisis area. I will collect some supplies here and once I see what else is lacking upon arrival, I’ll buy additional supplies from local stores that are still open in NC.”

a Personal Connection

To us, it feels like Katrina 2.0 and we saw that FIRSTHAND…

When Brad and I were living in Jackson, Wyoming, Hurricane Katrina obliterated Louisiana and Mississippi. I vividly recall watching the news and seeing people stranded in the Superdome from my small townhome in the Tetons and crying and crying. Just a few months later, our church in Jackson decided to send a group down to clean, re-build, support, and just love on… Brad and I jumped at the chance. Our time LA and MS working with just a few families, a few homes, and a few small communities was immeasurable in the breadth of impact it had on our lives.

The idea that a crisis SO MASSIVE and SO IMMEASURABLY DIFFICULT—like the devastation of a hurricane on beloved American towns can be SOFTENED STEP by STEP, water bottle by water bottle, volunteer by volunteer, small kindness by small kindness IS. REAL.

I know this: NO ONE is “too small” or "too insignificant” to make a difference.

Our effort in LA and MS reminded us that WE CAN DO BIG THINGS—even though we aren’t many. The experience lead us to do other grassroots projects together like raising money for a water pipeline/well in Nicaragua and the border of Honduras. With a little help from a lot of people, we raised the money for our friends in NIC. and went down to help. Kids came into our lives and we had an idea for a coat drive for the homeless on the North Side turned into over 100 coats and blankets in my garage, laundry room, basement…then directly into the arms of the unsheltered. Help can be simple. Doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to start somewhere.

YOUR INVOLVEMENT COUNTS. For when you and I come together and we each tell a friend and we grow and take action and spread kindness like confetti, WE become an ARMY of goodness.