After several discussions with pastors and community leaders in the WNC area, we heard over and over the need for firewood. Many folks are without power or use firewood as the primary heat source for the winter. Many individuals lost their firewood stores in the flooding.

With those needs in mind along with the many downed large oak trees in Upstate SC, 3GEN launched the Freedom Firewood - Helping your community, Harvesting for WNC.

THE WHY

We have men and families who are eager to help with the relief effort
We have local communities with many downed trees that need to be removed. Many trees have already been processed by crews and are sitting on the curbs.
As colder temps descend on the area, there is a real need in Western North Carolina for firewood. We are coordinating with local pastors and community leaders to distribute firewood to those in need.

We spoke to Holly Bridgeo from Plumtree Church who confirmed the needs.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Identify trees in your community that need to be removed and processed. Look specifically for neighbors who cannot do the work themselves or cannot afford to pay for the removal.
Round up volunteers in your community and schedule a day to serve. Ideally, teams of 4-6 with chainsaws, strong backs, and a truck or utility trailer can get the job done.
Cut the trunks and large branches into 20-inch sections. Rent or borrow a log splitter to split the large pieces into 4-inch firelogs.
Load the logs onto a trailer and contact 3GEN to arrange a drop-off. We can arrange a pick up if needed, but availability is limited.