LITCHFIELD, Ohio — Hurricane Helene ravaged cities and towns in several states, including North Carolina, last month, and leaders have said it could take years to recover.
The videos and images of devastation moved Kelton Keller, a fifth-generation crop and beef cattle farmer in Medina County.
"I couldn't imagine coming home one day and seeing everything my family's worked for gone," Keller said. "So, it really hit me emotionally to want to help as best I could."
Keller is also the operations manager at the family business Keller Meats in Litchfield.
He said a text message to a friend who lives in North Carolina revealed a need for hay to feed farm animals, which is hard to get following Hurricane Helene.
"I know the farm animals down there that's like an afterthought. The people are always first, which it should be. But without the animals, America doesn't get fed," Keller said.
It led Keller to ask his sister to create a post on Keller Meats' social media page advertising a hay donation drive.
"I was like, 'Hey, make a post. I want to try to put together a couple loads of hay to go down there' and then it exploded like wildfire," Keller said.
Donations poured in from across the area.
"It's close to 200 ton of hay going down which is insane," Keller said. "Within the first like eight hours, we had $10,000 raised."
Keller said it's incredibly heartwarming to see the number of people who donated because many Ohio farmers faced severe drought conditions this year, impacting hay yields.
And it's not just hay that's been donated. Pallets of dog bowls, dog crates, clothing and laundry detergent are heading south.
"It's close to over $100,000 worth of different miscellaneous items going down there," Keller said.
The plan is to have everything loaded for departure on Oct. 15. Keller said there are at least 40 trucks and flatbed trailers making the trip to Boone, North Carolina. Family members, friends and strangers will be making the journey.
"We're gonna go to an airport. It's all gonna be air-lifted to the different remote areas that you can't even access with the trucks and trailers anymore," Keller said.
Keller added that a veterinarian in North Carolina has been helping with logistics.
Allie Gilles, a cashier at Keller Meats, has been fielding questions from customers about ways they can help.
"It's such a blessing to see everyone come out donating water, blankets, pillows, hay, money… everything," Gilles said. "This little town of Lichfield- how amazing it is to help everyone in North Carolina."
Keller said a simple request, and the response it received proves a lot.
"A lot of the stuff you see in the news is always a lot negative but there's a lot of good still out there," Keller said.
Donation Information
Donations are still being accepted, including money for supplies and transportation needs. Donations can be sent through Venmo using the handle @Kelton-Keller.
Donations are not being accepted at Keller Meats, but questions can be answered by calling the business at 330-722-4501.
