Mission Mules deliver supplies to inaccessible areas of McDowell County

MCDOWELL COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) -An organization from North Carolina has partnered up with the military and law enforcement to send mules loaded-down with supplies to inaccessible areas of McDowell County.

Mountain Mule Packers’ non-profit called Mission Mules traveled to the hardest hit places in the county earlier this week. Mike Toberer, CEO of Mountain Mule Packers says the community contacted him for help getting food, water, and other supplies to local residents.

 “We got a call from people here saying they needed help in these hollers where we’re at right now (Iaeger, WV)”, said Toberer.

On Wednesday, Toberer and his team hauled six mules to the Betsey Branch Road in Iaeger. Soldiers from the U.S Air Force and West Virginia State troopers helped pack the mules full of supplies to help family’s stay warm.

“This is the second day we’ve come back, we took food and water before, now we’re taking heaters and propane,” Toberer said.

Mountain Mule Packers started out by working with the military during training operations.

“Our company, Mountain Mule Packers, we work with the military, that was our business, we work with special forces. Then when the storm hit in Western North Carolina in September, we actually were scheduled to do a training with some marines down in South Carolina and it got canceled with the storm.”

Toberer said he didn’t think he would start a disaster relief organization with his mules, but when the need arose after Hurricane Helene hit Western Carolina, he and his team he realized his resources could help the ones in need.

“When our power came back on where we lived, they showed the inaccessible areas. Me and my guys, we realized that’s what we needed to do. We can go through that. We started and we’ve been in North Carolina for about five months.”

The Mission Mules arrived to in West Virginia early the week and saw the need in this part of Appalachia.

“It’s extremely important. They’re out of propane, they’re out of food, they’ve got no way to get out. We basically are going through washed out culverts through the creek getting them what they need.”

While the mules' services have been utilized most of the week, the need for food and supplies are still ongoing.

“The communities are having a hard time getting supplies to them for us to take out.”

Toberer encourages people to donate so they have plenty of supplies to haul.

“Keep the support coming and we’ll keep the product going out,” he said.

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