The trailer, purchased initially during the coronavirus pandemic, was donated after a call between Gibbs and Tyler Puckett, Harwood Homes Funeral Home operator. The funeral home in Black Mountain, just five miles from the equally devastated town of Swannanoa, found itself in desperate need of body storage as the death toll rose. “We just wanted to help out in any way we can,” said Gibbs, who sent the trailer that arrived in flood-ravaged North Carolina on Friday, October 4. The trailer, worth $30,000, arrived that evening and is currently stationed at Puckett’s cemetery near his funeral home.
In addition to the trailer, Gibbs called on the community to contribute non-perishable foods, blankets, and other essential supplies for the affected area. NAPA Auto Parts in Stafford also donated a battery for the trailer, which runs on diesel and has built-in shelves to accommodate the increasing number of victims.
