SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — Just a few short days ago, Brandon Kopinetz and his wife floated around the idea of driving down south and cooking food for victims of Hurricane Helene. The couple owns the Washington Hotel in Minersville.
When Brandon posted about the plan on social media, things took a turn. The post went viral and dozens of people offered to help. They named the plan Skook Road Trip Relief.
"It's more impactful than just going down and feeding a couple hundred people," Brandon said. "Now it's going to be thousands and thousands of people."
Next Sunday, dozens of volunteers from Schuylkill County will travel to North Carolina. They plan to serve nearly 5,000 meals in the Asheville and Black Mountain Region.
"We've got side by sides, RVs, cookers, smokers, everything. Somebody is making us 30 gallons of soup to take down," Jason Bower said.
Supplies are being collected at more than a dozen locations in Schuylkill County. The group's GoFundMe page raised more than $30,000 in its first 48 hours.
"The amount of people who are stepping up in the community and the businesses- we've had so many. I haven't called anybody that even slowed down their response with a maybe or a nope. It's a 'whatever you need, just give me the list and we'll get it," Bower said.
The group is bringing a mobile kitchen they plan to leave in North Carolina so it can continue to be used.
Kopinetz described his plan, saying, "Just get to work, start setting everything up, equipment, sanitation systems and just start cooking and keep cooking and cooking until we have nothing to cook."
If you'd like to volunteer or donate to the Skook Road Trip Relief click here.
There is a meeting Tuesday evening for people who are interested in volunteering. If that is you, you're asked to fill out a volunteer application by the end of today.