East Tennessee farmer helps donate campers to flood victims

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – While people across East Tennessee and Western North Carolina await financial assistance from the federal government, some are finding help from an unlikely source.

Brian Minton, a farmer in Dandridge, has already been making trips to North Carolina over the last few months helping flood victims and assisting in any way he can. Since he started making trips to badly impacted areas, he’s gotten help from others on social media.

“Hands on the ground, boots on the ground, that’s what we’re about,” said Minton.

Minton crossed paths with Sandy Pearl on Facebook, who is a farmer from Indiana who has also been posting pictures and videos from the aftermath of the storm. Her account has garnered a lot of attention, and others have reached out to help.

Minton and Pearl have had eight people reach out and donate their RVs and campers to go to people in North Carolina who are still without a home.

“I’d much rather have them in this RV because when it’s snowing, that tent can collapse,” said Minton.

These campers and RVs have been donated from Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Florida and Alabama, so far. Although they typically would sell for about $30,000 a piece, they were all donated for free from people who heard about Minton and Pearl helping and wanted to join.

“We joke around about being the cowboy crusaders because that’s what we are. We’re just good old folks who live on a farm and know how to help these people. We just don’t have the resources that our government does,” said Pearl.

Minton and Pearl plan to deliver a camper to Burnsville, North Carolina Thursday morning.

According to Pearl, all of the RVs and campers will go to people who aren’t eligible for FEMA relief.

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