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Hannah Cagle, Greenville Human Resources Manager, and Daughter Volunteering in Avery County, NC
On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene struck the mountains of western North Carolina leaving behind a sad trail of misery and hopelessness. But it is also a story of human resilience, heroism, kindness, and commitment.
“Our company was quick to respond to the overwhelming need,” said Bob Johnson, CEO of House of Raeford Farms. “We understand from our own experiences the challenges storm victims face. Personally, my family has close connections to the mountains, and we have personal friends that were impacted.”
Assistance came quickly and in great capacity to North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee from across the country. Companies stepped forward with donations of food and supplies; ministries set up food distribution centers, clean-up operations and temporary housing; search and rescue teams and other first responders combed the backwoods areas looking for survivors; and ordinary folks volunteered their services to help wherever needed most.
Through House of Raeford Farms FLOCK, a nonprofit organization whose mission includes hunger relief as one of its four outreach pillars, we donated 100,000 lbs. of chicken equaling approximately 300,000 meals. We reached large cities like Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC, but also small towns like Newland in Avery County, Black Mountain, Canton, and Barnardsville, NC as well as Blackshear in South Georgia. The connections to these communities often came in unique ways:
- Our Filet of Chicken complex manager in Forest Park, GA heard a news report of the devastation suffered by residents in and around Blackshear, GA. Partnering with a local church, we distributed 40,000 lbs. of chicken to that community where everyone lost all their food supplies because of the storm.
- Hannah Cagle, our Human Resources Manager in Greenville, SC, learned from a relative of the need for supplies and food in Avery County, NC. She organized a collection drive for non-perishable products among employees at the Greenville location, and in early November traveled with her family to Newland, NC to assist the county in distribution of the supplies as well as 20,000 lbs. of chicken from our Greenville processing facility.
NC National Guard Members Distribute Chicken to Avery County, NC Residents
- Coincidentally, the wife of Royal Johnson, our Breeder Manager in Rose Hill, NC, also connected with a family member in Newland. As a result, our Rose Hill and Wallace, NC employees collected a trailer full of supplies, including ten generators, and transported them to Avery County.
- World Central Kitchen (WCK) coordinated a network of Asheville area restaurants providing thousands of meals for the area daily. After being informed by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, House of Raeford’s Greenville, SC location delivered approximately 25,000 lbs. of chicken in October to support this mission. From a main distribution site, individuals and groups picked up meals and delivered them to surrounding towns, sometimes via helicopter.
World Central Kitchen Partner Volunteers Prepare Plates to Serve Thousands
- For years, the Holly Jolly at Town Square community meal has been served to the residents of Black Mountain, NC. This year, the food could not be prepared by local restaurants that closed due to storm damage. To prevent cancellation of the event, Nash Johnson, son of Company CEO Bob Johnson, and his wife Martha stepped up to provide a meal of chicken and rice for 3,000 people. Joined in this effort by evangelist Davd Pait of RealWorld Outdoors Ministry, Willing Vessel Ministries, and country music artist Ryan Perry, this team came together in a special outreach to the people of this hurricane-affected town. To continue with a past tradition, a local company donated a truckload of toys to distribute to kids in attendance.
Serving House of Raeford Chicken and Rice in Black Mountain, NC
House of Raeford’s Own Nash Johnson Entertains at Holly Jolly
We provided support for many others including the Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth, and Families; Carolina Cooker preparing meals for remote areas of western NC; Hazlehurst Church of God near our House of Raeford location in Vienna, GA; various organizations cooking for line workers restoring electrical power to communities; and so many others in need.
Greenville, SC suffered flooding and other storm damage as well as loss of electrical power for an extended period. Our House of Raeford Greenville location has been helping our regular ministry partners in that area restock their chicken food supply. In addition, because so many employees were affected by the storm, Greenville gave each of their associates a gift of chicken. Two other Company locations in Vienna, GA and West Columbia, SC also were affected to a lesser degree by the hurricane.
Monetarily the Company donated $25,000 to Samaritan’s Purse to aid in their western NC relief efforts. This organization, with their headquarters in the center of the disaster area, continues to collaborate with teams to mud out homes, cut trees, deliver critically needed items to cut-off communities, and counsel families who have lost everything.
Finally, our donations during the holiday season this year also included a product contribution to Free Chapel, a network of churches in Georgia and South Carolina. House of Raeford donated 240,000 lbs. of chicken to support their outreach efforts to 6,000+ families in five Georgia communities as well as Spartanburg, SC. This has become an annual giving opportunity for the Company.
In total House of Raeford has contributed enough chicken this fall to serve over one million meals.
Recovery in western NC will continue for many months to come. House of Raeford will monitor needs in that area and help wherever possible. There is nothing more meaningful than offering prayers and tangible love to our neighbors.