BOONE — Hospitality House Northwest North Carolina is issuing an urgent request for winter clothing, camping gear, and heating equipment as freezing weather approaches the High Country, Spectrum News reported.
Shelves at the Boone facility that typically hold essential cold-weather supplies are currently empty. Staff members report that items like winter coats, blankets, sleeping bags, and tents have completely run out just as colder conditions settle into the area.
Lexi White, who has worked at Hospitality House Northwest North Carolina for five years after studying criminal justice, shared details about the current shortages. White explained to Spectrum News that the agency recently has had no tents available to distribute to individuals seeking assistance. In addition to tents, tarps are critically needed because of the frequent wet weather in the High Country.
As White told Spectrum News, standard tents often allow water to seep in from the ground during rainstorms. Tarps help keep the interior dry when placed beneath a tent or can be strung over tree branches to create temporary outdoor shelters for individuals who have nowhere else to stay.
Demand for basic survival items has surged across the region. Hospitality House reports a significant rise in the number of people requesting help with food and home heating since Tropical Storm Helene hit the area. People are already arriving at the Boone center to gather whatever cold-weather items are available, and staff members have begun handing out the remaining jackets and tarps on hand.
White told Spectrum News that seeing such a massive need across the High Country is painful for staff members, making the push to restock shelves extremely important to the organization.
The nonprofit does not open its emergency winter shelter until overnight temperatures drop to freezing or below for an extended timeframe. White noted that the main facility remains at full capacity throughout the entire year, leaving outdoor gear and extra supplies as a vital lifeline for residents who cannot be accommodated inside when temperatures first begin to plummet.
At the top of the organization's priority list are winter jackets, with a specific focus on larger sizes up to 4XL. Other urgently needed items include warm socks, cold-weather hats, hand warmers, and portable space heaters. White told Spectrum News that smaller space heaters equipped with an automatic tip-over safety switch—which cuts power if the unit falls—are the safest and best option for community members trying to heat their living spaces.
Organization leaders emphasize that donations are needed quickly so the High Country community, which has already endured significant hardship since Helene, can stay safe and warm as severe winter conditions near.
Community members wishing to contribute can drop off donations directly at Hospitality House Northwest North Carolina, located at 338 Brook Hollow Road in Boone. Supplies can also be shipped straight to the facility's Brook Hollow Road address.
