BURNSVILLE, N.C. (WAVY) — Mercy Chefs is planning to feed around 2,000 people in Burnsville, North Carolina on Thanksgiving. The Virginia nonprofit has been on the ground in North Carolina helping residents impacted by Hurricane Helene since Oct. 1. They’ve served more than 350,000 meals in the state so far, according to Mercy Chefs.

According to FEMA, 33 families have temporary homes to call their own in Western North Carolina as of Thanksgiving and nearly 500 families have been approved for housing. FEMA is paying hotel costs for almost 12,000 survivors in the state. The federal agency has already paid more than $ 940,000 to help survivors with their rent.

Though they were seven hours away, their suffering felt like his own. He couldn’t bear the thought of watching his home swallowed by floodwaters, losing friends and family to a sudden disaster, or spending Thanksgiving alone,