Swannanoa Man Living In Tent Post-Helene Receives Camper From Good Samaritans
Keith Bills is a volunteer firefighter from Statesville - when he found out about people living in tents in Western North Carolina, he quickly jumped into action.
SWANNANOA, N.C. — Nearly three weeks after Helene, some people in western North Carolina are still living in tents.
“A lot of people want to help,” says Brian Blazer.
Blazer, an Alabama resident, is one of those people who are lending a helping hand. He’s made the 10-hour round-trip drive to Swannanoa multiple times to deliver critical supplies to those in need. But when he saw people like Joe Bryant living in tents – he knew they needed more.
“It just really brings you to tears,” says Blazer, “My wife came with me and said, ‘I’ve got to hug these people.”
He started filming with his phone and posted them on social media to let the world know how dire the situation has become.
“People are really moved by seeing how people need and what the need is,” says Keith Bills.
“You think about things in a different light; how blessed we really are to have the things we have versus somebody an hour and 20 minutes away.”
Bills, a volunteer firefighter from Statesville, was certainly moved by what he’s seen on social media – and in person. He’s also made multiple trips to the Swannanoa area – and when he found out about people living in tents, he jumped into action.
“I put on my Facebook, ‘If you’ve got an old camper and it’s sitting in your yard, it’s being a nuisance, as long as it’s still livable, donate it out.’”
And sure enough, he got a hit. An anonymous donor gave him a trailer – and Bills hit the ground running.
“So, we loaded it up last Friday and I contacted Travis, since he knows the people,” says Bills.
He’s talking about Travis Frizsell, who works at Appalachian Tool & Machine in Swannanoa – and as it turns out, he did know someone – his coworker, Joe Bryant. Bryant and his dog are no longer camping in the cold – that’s music to Blazer’s ears.
“I’m ecstatic. I could just jump up and down,” beams Blazer.
“They’re up out of the dirt and they’re in a camper, and they’re in a better environment just because of the goodness of God and the people wanting to help.”
