CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Months after Hurricane Helene slammed into North Carolina, many families are still living in tents and trailers. The Caldwell family of Chesapeake saw the storm firsthand during a trip to Kentucky as Helene exacted a multi-billion dollar toll on the Tar Heal state.
“Well, we were talking about how we can give back because so many so many came out to help us,” said Annetta Caldwell, the mother of seven children.
“And so we’re like, what can we do? And when North Carolina had the flood happened, my heart was just broken for them. And so I was like, Is there anything that we can do? And we’re like, Well, why not do like a hot cocoa stand,” Caldwell said.
Two of Caldwell’s children had been running a lemonade stand this summer when someone stole money from it, and the story made national headlines.
The response from Hampton Roads came in like a storm. It was enough to buy the kids four-by-fours and all the cool gear.
Ten-year-old Rebecca said it was a lesson learned about law and order and the power of forgiveness.
“I think it’s good to forgive him, because otherwise I’ll just be, like, [holding onto] a grudge, and nobody wants that,” Rebecca said. “I learned that no matter what happens, people always count and help.”
The Caldwells will help the people of North Carolina Saturday morning when they open a hot cocoa stand in their front yard. They say the motorcycle group that responded after the theft has already agreed to warm up with Caldwell cocoa Saturday morning.
Rebecca stared into the lens of a 10 On Your Side camera and delivered the pitch.
“My name is Rebecca Caldwell. I’m 10-years-old, and I was the girl from the lemonade stand,” Rebecca said. “Tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., we are going to hold a cocoa stand. So I really hope y’all come. And it’s going to be fun. So we are holding donations. It’s not going to be a real prize, just donations.”
The family has partnered with logistics experts on both ends of the trip.
“So we’re going to have Operation Blessing partnering with us, and they’re going to take monetary donations, like most of the proceeds, and then I’m asking people to bring new blankets, new coats and jackets. Caldwell said. Once in Black Mountain N.C., The Red Truck Men will assist.
“Well, there’s a lot of communities that are living in tents, so it would be nice to have enough to at least get those whole communities done,” Caldwell said. “So, I mean, a few thousand would be nice. And then if we had enough coats for the whole family and gloves and everything for all of them. … I’m hoping for bins and bins and stuff, and even the bottled water, they don’t have clean water there right now.”
For more information on hot cocoa with the Caldwells, send an email to Annettafcaldwell@gmail.com.