Let me start by saying, I know this man. I know his heart and the compassion he has for these people. He is humble and is adamant that it should never be about him and how there are many people who work with him to do whatever he does. Even though he has a business to run and has to be home from time to time, he willingly works to help his fellow man wherever he can, but he couldn’t do it without his wife, Tina, giving his volunteer effort her blessing, when she tells him to “Go save the country.”

Barber has been on this mission since shortly after Helene reached North Carolina in September.

“People can’t imagine the devastation unless they’ve been there. There are whole towns that are just gone and it goes on for miles and miles and miles. It’s absolutely massive.”

He witnessed snow in the mountains before Western New York had snow. There have been nights when the temperature has dropped to as low as 0 degrees. The daytime temperatures can range from 20 to 40 degrees.

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

“People are living in tents. It just breaks your heart. I know some of these people personally now,” he says. “They don’t want to leave the land because they feel like the government is going to claim it is a flood plain and take it by eminent domain.”

The compassion can be heard in his voice as he goes on to talk about the people and how their land has been in their families for many generations.

“They say ‘No, we’re not leaving. We’re going to stick it out, no matter what.’ So, kudos to those people! They’re tough, they’re resourceful and they’re not going anywhere.”

He is in the log and lumber business and is getting involved with building some tiny homes. He will be supplying some lumber and some Amish crews to do what it requires to get these people through winter and to go on to build their lives. The state government has recently eased up on some of the less important code regulations, so the people are able to use the tiny homes.

“They are temporary, but for Pete’s sake, it’s better than being in a tent,” says the logger. “Those buildings can be put to other uses when they rebuild, but nobody is ready to do the rebuilds. The funding isn’t there, the winter has set in and the ground is torn up. They’re not ready to do the rebuild, so let’s do the best we can.”

A load of hay headed for North Carolina.

He hopes the new administration will release funds, but knows that will not be immediate. He says even if that does happen, “there is plenty of room for private people to pitch in and help.”

When asked which is best to donate, money or supplies, he responds “money is good but it is not always possible.”

“Money can hit the need of the day,” but he points out that building materials of any kind are needed. “Dry wall, siding, dimension lumber, pressure-treated lumber would be useful.”

Farmers and ranchers around the nation offered whatever hay they could spare, as soon as word got out that the farmers in the southern state could not feed their livestock. The Randolph man picked up a load of hay in North Collins, NY and delivered it to a satellite warehouse in Scranton, PA to be taken by big rigs to the devastated area.

“The cattle were free-ranging for a while, but they’ve gotten them together. Their fences are gone. They’ve lost their hay. They’ve lost their pastures. Everything is under a foot of mud and they will not be able to use their pastures next summer. It’s going to take a long time to recover the pastures,” says Barber. “They were running out of hay again, so we hurried and put a load together and sent it down a few days ago. It requires a massive amount of stuff to keep everything going.”

Randy Barber is working along side Buck Up Relief Mission and Savage Relief, two ministries whose mission is to get needed supplies and help to the area of North Carolina which was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Submitted photos

Just last week, he towed a 24-foot trailer with his one-ton heavy-duty pick-up truck to Illinois where he made three stops to pick up donated heaters, generators, sleeping bags, toys, soap and clothing. The donations were driven to a central warehouse in Columbus, Ohio where Barber picked up a load, which he delivered to NC. Volunteers at the warehouses sort, palletize and shrink wrap the customized loads to be delivered to the areas in need of the specific items. Workers put in 12-16 hour days in the first weeks after the storm.

“No one sees them,” he says. “The volunteers in the warehouses are unsung heroes.”

Warehouse owners all over America are to be commended for their generosity as well.

“To my knowledge, no one has charged a penny for warehouse space,” he adds. “You see a lot of heartbreak down there, but you see lots of things that warm your heart. The response from the people has been huge. We all need to remember, if we all do a little, it turns out to be a lot.”

Recently, the ministry he has been working with, Buck Up Relief Mission, collaborated with Savage Freedom Relief Operation on a children’s event created by a third relief group, A Hand From Above. The children were treated to food, candy, bounce houses and Santa Claus, but the highlight of the event was the semi-load of donated toys, clothing, etc, including 250 new bicycles, which the organizations had secured.

Churches, community events or community social media supporting The Buck Up Relief Mission will enable delivery of emergency supplies, provide temporary shelter and housing assistance, support medical teams with necessary equipment and assist in debris removal and infrastructure repair. Monetary donations are needed, as well as donations of food, water, winter clothing for all ages, heaters and other essential items.

To make donations visit BuckUpReliefMission.net or contact Randy Barber at (716) 338-5618.

Randy and Kimberly will be joining American Sovereign Radio for a telethon in support of the hurricane victims on January 1 from noon to midnight. Follow them on Facebook at Real American Grit, X and Brighteon.com for more information and updates.