Building Shelters for WNC

Goal:

 USD $5,000

Raised:

 USD $2,250

Campaign created by Cristy Gunduz

Campaign funds will be received by Cristy Gunduz

Building Shelters for WNC

In October 2024, a group of us from Rock Springs/Green River, Wyoming drove in a caravan to deliver emergency supplies to the people of Chimney Rock, WNC due to the destruction hurricane Helene left. Now, winter is upon the survivors and they are in desperate need of shelter to endure winter in the mountains. There are too many people living in tents and cars still, FEMA has shut down their shelters and left more in the cold, CPS has taken children from their parents due to inadequate shelter, flood zone lines have been raised making it even more difficult or impossible to rebuild, and armed guards are blocking roads making it more difficult to reach people in need. Furthermore, FEMA has confiscated tiny homes and trailers that were donated stating, “they did not meet code” or “improper zoning”, putting families back in tents and causing deaths due to hypothermia. All these stories are confirmed by people we are in contact with who are there living in it all.

The biggest need they have now is volunteers to help build winter-worthy structures. We are endeavoring to take Dogan’s winter vacation to help residents of Swannanoa, one of the worst hit areas.

We have 2 weeks of time, people, and skills to donate from December 23 to January 4.

  • 3 people with nursing and EMT training
  • 3 people with building skills
  • 2 people with electrical skills
  • 7 people willing to do anything else needed
  • All of us bringing the love and truth of Jesus

What we need to get there:

  1. Prayers for discernment, provision, and protection.
  2. Finances for transportation and equipment for our team.
  3. Someone to take care of our 2 medium-sized dogs while we are gone. (This requires someone with experience dealing with a reactive dog. One of our dogs is a rescue who had some trauma and can bark and nip due to anxiety/fear. They are used to being with the family all day and usually are only left in their crates for 2 or 3 hours at a time).

We need at least $9,000 by December 15 to make this mission happen (any extra money will go directly to the people there). Please pray for God’s amazing abundance to pour down from heaven. If you can donate, please do so on our Give/Send/Go site. If you would like to go with us, message us directly.

Blessings of peace through the trial,

The Gunduz Family


Recent Donations
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Anonymous Giver
$ 250.00 USD
1 month ago

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Kim
$ 100.00 USD
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Katherine Mount
$ 500.00 USD
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Tenfold
$ 1000.00 USD
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This has been so heavy on my heart. Thank you for going

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Updates

Update #14

January 27th, 2025

January 26, 2025

Greetings Family, Friends, & Supporters of the WNC Mission!

The residents whose houses and property were devastated are still without electricity, heat, water, and sewer services. Many are still living in disaster conditions.

  • The banks are making them pay their full mortgage…even on houses that no longer exist or are livable.
  • The municipalities are still making them pay their full property taxes.
  • The federal government approved millions of dollars to help hurricane Helene victims but the areas we helped have not seen a dime of the money yet.
  • Businesses have been unable to open, people are out of work, and unemployment benefits have expired.
  • FEMA is still abruptly ending hotel stays and displacing families even with children to the street. Needless to say, the homelessness in Western North Carolina is growing, not minimizing.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency is hindering locals from cleaning up the river.

Keep praying for, sending help (or going yourself), and raising awareness about the truth of what’s happening in WNC.

We are willing to go again this Spring and/or the Summer to help families get shelter and rebuild their land once we raise enough travel money through GiveSendGo. If we don’t raise enough money in time, we will give it directly to the families that need it for rebuilding or housing needs.

To God Be The Glory!

The Roberts/Gunduz/Leland Families


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Update #13

January 6th, 2025

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Update #12

January 6th, 2025

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Update #11

January 6th, 2025

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Update #9

January 6th, 2025

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Update #7

January 6th, 2025

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Update #6

January 6th, 2025

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Update #5

January 6th, 2025

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Update #4

January 6th, 2025

Update, 1/2/2025

We are back from Swannanoa…sadly. We didn’t want to stop living with and helping the people in Swannanoa. We want to thank everyone who helped us financially and with prayers. We had three major needs to make the trip happen and all were met with some adjustment.

Who went:

  • The Gunduz Family (2 adults, 3 children, and 2 dogs)
  • The Roberts (2 adults)

It amazed me how many out-of-state individuals and grassroots organizations came to help. We met individuals/organizations from Arizona, California, Texas, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and more. There were many people that the Lord sent at just the right time with the right equipment. Some of them not even knowing where they were going when they got in their vehicles.

What we accomplished:

  • Getting a woman in her 70s a camper with a generator while we look for a new mobile home for her. As well as building her a ramp to enter/exit her camper.
  • Clearing the land around the main property owner and debris from the river.
  • Removing more vehicles from the property and river.
  • Hooking up outdoor showers for the neighborhood.
  • Setting up a 15’x25’ tent and floor to hold all the donations of clothing, food, and living needs to distribute. Getting a portion of the donations in the tent and organized.
  • Finishing the roof on a cabin and wrapping it with house wrap. As well as building a ramp for a wheelchair-bound woman.
  • Stacking wood that was donated.
  • Organizing the kitchen tent for the volunteers. Acquiring a hot tent to replace the food tent as the temperatures are dropping.
  • Ran errands to acquire medical, food, and building supplies.

We were able to save a lot of money by driving. Below is the account of our expenses.

  • Fuel - $1161.85
  • Lodging in transit - $415.51 (we saved $900 by using our own hotel points)
  • Donations - $651 (-25 degree sleeping bags and ground pads, boots, rain gear, winter jackets, mittens, hats)
  • Other - $337.93 (supplies for outdoor showers, generators, etc.)

Total amount raised, $2250.

Amount to GiveSendGo, $63.15.

Total expenses, $2566.29.

Balance, -$379.44

There is so much more to do. In addition to supplies for building and campers for shelter…they need “boots on the ground”. People to help build, organize donations, and serve the people who are living without power, water, sewer, food, and proper shelter. My brother-in-law is planning on going back soon and we hope to join him. Cristy and the kids could drive but, unfortunately, I would have to fly since I only have 7 days off in March.

To God be the glory!

Team Gunduz/Roberts Families


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Update #2

December 27th, 2024

We are finally in route to WNC.  We will arrive in Swannanoah tomorrow (Friday), ready to build shelters and share winter supplies and warmth with our amazing mountain neighbors.  We are blessed to have our sister and brother-in-law able and willing to meet us with building skills and tools, as well as more needed supplies for winter survival donated by their CT church and small group. We spoke to and prayed with the the community that we are going to serve in Swannanoah.  They are so encouraged and blessed by ALL of YOUR generosity to send help from across the country in their time of such great need!!  We were so uplifted by their faith!!  

We thank you all SO MUCH for teaming with us to make this trip possible.  It's been so beautiful to see how the Lord has used each one of you to share whatever He put in your heart to give, and together we are making big things happen for these precious people!! Though we didn't make our goal in order to have as much to donate towards building supplies, we have enough for fuel for our travel and in addition, the Lord has blessed our family with finances to purchase supplies such as propane, bottle water, and -25° sleeping bags (on an amazing sale at an amazing outlet store that I learned about from a friend...as well as providing another friend already traveling the 3 hours to that store's location and able to pick them up for us so we didn't have to spend the extra time and money).  We have found practically new warm hats, base layers and socks, as well as name brand waterproof jackets, snow pants and boots from thrift stores and on marketplace, all freshly washed and ready to be used to bless those in need.  And on top of it, many from our community and family members have given in many ways whether it's winter work gloves, top notch boots, quality wool socks, base layers, hand warmers, etc...all to be given to anyone cold in WNC.  

This is just a sampling of the aid you have been a part of delivering to the flood victims of WNC... along with their greatest need:  manpower, human connection and hope.  We and the people of Swannanoah, and greater community, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!  

God bless you!

Onward and upward!!

Our next update will be from Swannanoah!

Update #2

December 27th, 2024

We are finally in route to WNC.  We will arrive in Swannanoah tomorrow (Friday), ready to build shelters and share winter supplies and warmth with our amazing mountain neighbors.  We are blessed to have our sister and brother-in-law able and willing to meet us with building skills and tools, as well as more needed supplies for winter survival donated by their CT church and small group. We spoke to and prayed with the the community that we are going to serve in Swannanoah.  They are so encouraged and blessed by ALL of YOUR generosity to send help from across the country in their time of such great need!!  We were so uplifted by their faith!!  

We thank you all SO MUCH for teaming with us to make this trip possible.  It's been so beautiful to see how the Lord has used each one of you to share whatever He put in your heart to give, and together we are making big things happen for these precious people!! Though we didn't make our goal in order to have as much to donate towards building supplies, we have enough for fuel for our travel and in addition, the Lord has blessed our family with finances to purchase supplies such as propane, bottle water, and -25° sleeping bags (on an amazing sale at an amazing outlet store that I learned about from a friend...as well as providing another friend already traveling the 3 hours to that store's location and able to pick them up for us so we didn't have to spend the extra time and money).  We have found practically new warm hats, base layers and socks, as well as name brand waterproof jackets, snow pants and boots from thrift stores and on marketplace, all freshly washed and ready to be used to bless those in need.  And on top of it, many from our community and family members have given in many ways whether it's winter work gloves, top notch boots, quality wool socks, base layers, hand warmers, etc...all to be given to anyone cold in WNC.  

This is just a sampling of the aid you have been a part of delivering to the flood victims of WNC... along with their greatest need:  manpower, human connection and hope.  We and the people of Swannanoah, and greater community, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!  

God bless you!

Onward and upward!!

Our next update will be from Swannanoah!

2024.12.08, 21:00

December 9th, 2024

Thank you everyone who is teaming together to make this mission trip to North Carolina possible. We are going "full steam ahead" in planning logistics and gathering supplies for living and working outdoors. We will donate all the clothing and equipment we acquired to the NC Mountain people. We have decided to drive rather than fly in order to reduce travel expenses and have more money for the building projects. Any money donated beyond our travel expenses will be given directly to the needs of the NC Mountain people. If we don't reach our goal for travel expenses, we will send all the money directly to building projects there.

Contact us through GSG or on FB or directly, if you are feeling the pull to go help with us. And always, continue to pray for the people in North Carolina.

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