02/28/2025
This will be long.
Stick around to the end for our future plans.
Jason took this photo the day after the storm. Itâs our banner at Silverados. Our anthem, and logo for concert season. We could have never known the meaning that God would give this phrase full circle.
It feels surreal, joyful, sad, and exciting all at the exact same time to be making this post.
On Sunday March 2, 2025, after FIVE full months, the distribution center for Valley Strong Disaster Relief will have its last day of distribution.
Writing that brings the tears.
Even though this was the goal. This was the plan. We WANT this to happen because it means we are more stable as a community. It is still hard to let it go.
This idea to gather some supplies to give out for our area was born in the living room of Ian and Jenalee. They quickly had Cory and Christen on board to use the bar in Silveradoâs, and then roped Jason and I into it right after that.
The 6 of us had absolutely no idea what we had just created. đ¤Ł
I will personally never forget that first day. We kept asking out-loud in desperate attempts for continual confirmation, âweâre sure we wanna do this right?â
We had a few cans of food, not even a full pack of diapers, and we were rationing a couple of bags of pet food into ziploc baggies so we could serve more people with what we had. All of our kids combined plus the amazing employees of The Social and Silveradoâs were the volunteers who kickstarted this entire project, and they were champions. By the end of the day, the entire bar was full of basic needs, and conversations began on how to use the stage to continue to take supplies.
Over weeks and months, we continued to receive items from people who traveled from ALL OVER the world to help us. Car trunks, truck beds, box trucks, uhauls, 18 wheelers. It is mind blowing the amount of supplies that we have received, organized, and given. We went from the corner of the bar, to the whole building, a full stage, and about 10 40-53 foot storage containers completely full. It became a full blown operation right before our eyes that we never could have dreamed up.
To our donors:
There is no way, absolutely no way to thank you all. Every can of food, blanket, heater, carbon monoxide detector, box of tampons, homemade cookie, pack of water, and every single solitary dollar has made what weâve been able to do, possible. Youâve sent checks from all over the world. Youâve come in person and put $5 bills and crumpled envelopes in our hands. Weâve shed a lot of tears over the sweet notes and cards that come in the mail. Without you, we are nothing.
To our volunteers:
So many of you showed up, and never left. You walked beside us in these trenches for months on end. You are a core group that in our eyes, could never ever be replaced or forgotten. You have driven for days to volunteer with us. You have slept in your cars to volunteer with us. You have sacrificed your entire lives to serve us, so we could serve our people. Without you, we are nothing.
To The Valley:
We love you. We love you so much. I speak for all 6 of our original founders and every single person that has ever stepped foot on this property when I say, this has been the absolute greatest joy of our lives to serve you. It is the hardest thing weâve ever done, and it is the best thing weâve ever done. We have survived the unthinkable together, and we are coming back from rock bottom, together. We will be better than how Helene even found us on September 27, 2024. We are bonded for the rest of our lives in ways no one else understands. With you, we are everything.
The future:
Weâve gone hard 7 days a week for 5 months straight. No breaks. Honestly, weâre damn proud of what Valley Strong has become. Whether itâs been those who have physically been at the hub all day everyday, those who spend countless hours out in the field serving and bringing awareness, or the ones behind the scenes making all the things happen. We are so proud of how everyone has come together with their own gifts to bring, and used them wholeheartedly for the greater good.
We wonât be stopping anytime soon. In fact, we hope to be around for decades.
We have been diving straight into funding clean up and rebuild in our area for a while now, and this is where we will continue to serve.
We are working on several projects currently, and will continue to help with everything we can get our hands on.
We do still need volunteers to help close this thing out. We have a lot of clean up to do onsite so that we can turn Silverados back over for the upcoming concert season.
As we close chapter one and head to the next, we are so grateful to everyone who has been a part of VSDR. YOU are what makes us strong, and has made this valley strong again. This was just the beginning. We will keep you updated all along the way.
Letâs go rebuild some homes and businesses.đ
Keep on fighting.
-Jason, Amy, Cory, & Christen đ¤
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