In the face of natural and man-made disasters, Grand Circle Foundation and our generous donors have provided relief to countries around the world, typically, when disaster strikes an overseas destination where we travel.
However, the flooding in North Carolina hit close to home. The devastation has impacted our travelers, our fellow U.S. citizens, and our friends—like Doc Hendley, founder of Wine to Water.
Doc has been a friend for many years and has helped Grand Circle Foundation bring clean water to schools and villages around the world, and has also delivered water filters to Ukraine, Syria, and countries torn by war. With the help of our generous donors, we have given over $1.3 million dollars toward numerous projects in partnership with Wine to Water.
Sadly, the mountain communities in North Carolina, like Boone, where Doc lives and where Wine to Water is located, now look like war zones. We were relieved to learn that Doc and his team were all safe—but his community and surrounding communities were devastated.
We sent an urgent appeal by email to our travelers and donors, asking for donations for Wine to Water to support flood victims in North Carolina. In a little over 24 hours, we received $28,000 in donations—and the generosity of our travelers continued, resulting in a total of $66,000 to be sent directly to Wine to Water for relief efforts.
We asked Doc for his recommendations on how best to use these funds, as he could see firsthand the needs on the ground. He told us there is a great need for housing for people who either lost everything, or whose homes were inhabitable due to mold and mildew. He shared that an Amish community from Ohio was donating labor and materials to build "tiny homes" for impacted families. Based on his recommendations, Foundation funds will be divided between the construction of new tiny homes and repairs to drywall, insulation, and flooring to make damaged homes livable again. In total, we hope to support 8-10 families.
On behalf of Doc, his team at Wine to Water, and everyone impacted by the devastation in western North Carolina, we thank all our generous donors for your generosity. The need is still great, and will be for a long time.
If you would like to donate to our ongoing efforts to support flood victims in partnership with Wine to Water, you can do so here. You can learn more about the projects Grand Circle Foundation supports around the world at www.grandcirclefoundation.org.
