‘A true blessing:’ Fundraiser helps North Carolina family buy new home

By WLOS Staff

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    CRUSO, North Carolina (WLOS) — According to the United Way of Haywood County, $1,227,438.23 has been raised through News 13’s Hope for Haywood fundraiser.

The money is helping businesses and families recover from flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred that drenched the area in August.

“It was just a true blessing. I mean there’s no words to express,” Cruso resident Sandra Ledford said.

The United Way of Haywood County helped the Ledford family purchase a new mobile home after they lost everything in the floods. Ledford said they watched from higher ground as the water surrounded their home.

“It just looked like a big lake. I mean, you couldn’t see grass. It was just like waves coming down through there,” she said.

Ledford estimated the family had at least $90,000 in damage, but said they did not qualify for FEMA assistance. That’s when she decided to call the United Way of Haywood County, and they were approved for funding to purchase a new mobile home.

“Words just can’t express, I mean, the generosity and everything. We’ve been turned down so much, and then they just came through,” Ledford said.

The family hopes to get the new mobile home inspected this week, so they can move in as soon as possible.

The United Way of Haywood County says $662,000 has been spent/allocated. The money is helping fund grants for small businesses and farmers, rapid rebuilds of damaged homes and road repairs in Haywood County.

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