HILTON, N.Y. — It’s been nearly two weeks since Hurricane Helene tore through several communities including Asheville, North Carolina. Local woman Julia Liotta is embarking on an 800-mile journey to Asheville to help people impacted by the hurricane.

After collecting donations at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hilton, Liotta is driving 12 hours to deliver the much-needed supplies.

“We were there for about five years. In the early 2000s, we lived in south Asheville. We also lived in West Asheville and were just completely in love with the community,” Liotta said.

For Liotta and her husband, Asheville is like a second home, so seeing the destruction in the area was heartbreaking for them. Many remote areas are only accessible by dirt roads and are located near creeks, making them difficult to reach even in good weather.

“It really leaves me just heartbroken,” Liotta said, imagining what it must be like for those stranded for two weeks without electricity, food, water, or communication.

Liotta is honored to bring together her two hometowns in this time of crisis, donating a literal truckload to charities in the area. She noted that there are many families in Rochester who are likely wondering about their loved ones in Asheville.

Finding a charity to accept her donation proved surprisingly difficult until Liotta discovered the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) in Arden, North Carolina. ABCCM helps veterans and homeless people in 26 counties throughout western North Carolina and was struggling to receive donations.

“So they were really struggling to get donations and it was really divinely guided,” Liotta said.

If you missed this donation opportunity, Liotta plans to organize another one for the people of Asheville before the Christmas season. We’ll add the details to this story once they’re available.

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