MADAWASKA, Maine — Inspired to help people affected by Hurricane Helene, Taylor Czipoth is traveling from Madawaska, New England’s northernmost town, to Asheville, North Carolina with her two boys and dogs in a bus full of supplies.
Czipoth first moved to Madawaska from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, two years ago with her husband and children. The family had no prior connection to northern Maine, but decided to make the move shortly after having her second child.
Earlier this year, Czipoth purchased a short school bus to potentially renovate into a camper that would allow her and her boys to go on road trips and experience new areas as part of their home schooling.
“I then came to realize it’s very hard without taking up a lot of space to insulate the inside of [the bus], being that it’s just a big metal box,” she said.
Czipoth then considered turning it into an ice cream truck, but has not yet received state approval for her license application.
She said that with the bus just taking up space, she was inspired to use it to travel down to North Carolina and help victims of the hurricane. Czipoth has wanted help with disaster relief since South Carolina was hit by a hurricane roughly 10 years ago. At the time, she made plans to help, but was unable to go due to serious car issues.
“For the past 10 years, that’s really bothered me that I didn’t get to volunteer and help with anything,” Czipoth said. “So one day I just thought, ‘You know what? I home school, I don’t work and I’ve got a bus.”
Since announcing her plans about a week ago, community members and organizations from Madawaska and beyond have shown overwhelming support.
The Madawaska American Legion offered Czipoth any leftover clothes after its coat drive. Jenna’s Helping Hands, a thrift store based in Frenchville, also donated a significant number of clothes.
“They gave me everything they had,” she said of the thrift store. “They filled up about half of my bus with clothing. There were blankets, sleeping bags, kids clothes. I mean, I have everything.”
The owners of local coffee business Gotta Coffee gave Czipoth multiple jugs that can each be filled with four gallons of water. The coffee business also donated gas cans in case the bus gets stuck somewhere far from a station on the trip.
In Van Buren, a St. John Valley Community about a half-hour’s drive away from Madawaska, Czipoth said the owners of two businesses — Yorks’ Kitchen and the Hungry Moose Pub — have connections in the Carolinas and helped provide connections to needy people in the area.
Czipoth said that newly crowned Miss Aroostook, Sophia Gordon of Presque Isle, also set up a donation point and is connecting with local organizations to help Czipoth on her mission.
About six or seven people also have given Czipoth food to take on the trip.
“There’s been an outpouring of help that I never expected, being that I’m still kind of new to this community, and I don’t know a lot of people,” she said. “And honestly, I haven’t even put the food in the bus yet, but there’s just enough room for a row of seats for my boys to fit in, and the rest of the bus is filled with donations. It’s amazing to see what everyone’s helped me with.”
St. John Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessica Blalock is originally from western North Carolina, and graduated from high school in Asheville. She commended these efforts and also helped Czipoth get in touch with people in the area.
“I believe the flooding caused by Helene is even worse than the Flood of 1916,” she said. “Entire towns are gone, wiped down the mountainside,” she said. “It’s horrific, tragic and heartbreaking.”
Blalock lost contact with her sister for more than 24 hours, as electricity and cellphone towers were down. But Blalock said she was safe and her home did not flood.
“The response efforts from people all around the county have been heartwarming,” she said. “Appalachia is a special place and still very dear to my heart. It’s going to take a very long time to recover, but Appalachian people are strong, and I know they will overcome.”
Czipoth departed Aroostook County on Saturday and headed to Pennsylvania for a night to stay with in-laws and old friends from her hometown and coordinate donations for the trip. From there, she will head to North Carolina and begin helping people in need.
Czipoth wants to help everyone she possibly can, in whatever capacity she can. This could come in the form of providing food and clothes, or by providing transport throughout the area to stores for supplies.
“There’s no big game plan,” she said. “I’m going to go where I’m needed, and we’ll figure it out when we’re down there.”
Depending on how everything goes during the trip, Czipoth will likely be in the area for two to three weeks.
Before leaving Madawaska, Czipoth said the support from her local community has been overwhelming.
“I would have never filled this bus without the help of everyone else,” she said. “And that’s what amazes me, how everyone came together to help people they’ve never even met.”
