How can we help?
Chipper Jones and his wife Donna operate Frosty Mountain Christmas Trees in Hot Springs, NC. In addition to his work in the tree business, Chipper also works for the Hot Springs Health Program, which has established a hurricane relief program that helps those with “a genuine need, decided upon by a group of local residents who know our county well.”
Chipper describes his experience of Hurricane Helene as “like being in a bubble.”
“We had no problems - lost power for 36 hours, which was nothing. Twenty miles in any direction from us was a total disaster. We were beyond lucky.”
Inspiring Acts of Bravery and Love
The inspirational stories are the ones that come quickest to mind for Chipper. “The Hot Springs Hardware store is called Gentry’s,” he said. “The store has been in the town for three generations, and it was devastated. The windows were out, the inventory was a mess. They put up a piece of plywood where the window had been and wrote a message on it that said, “Gentry Hardware won’t die!” A lot of people choked up when they saw it. It gave us hope.
“Another story, a lady who lived near the river could look out and see a beautiful, three-story home with the river swirling around it. She had a good view of the people who lived there, and could see the terror in their eyes. They could feel their house being pulled from its foundation. All of a sudden, a motorized raft came around the corner, pulled up to the house and saved them.
“We have a medical practice with four offices in Madison County,” Chipper said. “The main office in Hot Springs was cut off. You couldn’t get there. The road was washed away, downtown was a lot of rubble, buildings had caved in. But we were able to open the clinic for the people who could get there. They all came on foot. And more are able to get there now.”
Chipper encouraged anyone wishing to help the people of Madison County to make a donation to:
Hot Springs Health Program www.hotspringshealth-nc.org
Thank you
Santa’s Trees thanks each of you - our customers - for your business, and for the relationship we’ve been able to build with you through the years. We hope you have a blessed Christmas, and thank you for considering all of our friends in need this holiday season.