Marshall, North Carolina
Charles and Sharon Atkins with son Harrison, Office Manager, Caroline Pribanich, daughter Breleigh and her husband Jacob Rhodes all served at Appalachian Christmas 2025.
The 2025 Appalachian Christmas Project set a new standard for impact, successfully serving over 200 families across several counties surrounding the host city of Marshall, North Carolina.
Since 1999, PuroClean Property Damage Experts has partnered annually with the Church of God’s organization, Men and Women of Action, to deliver essential aid—Thanksgiving meals, clothing, blankets, and a memorable Christmas experience—to communities in the Appalachian region.
Typically focused on areas within Kentucky and West Virginia, this year’s efforts were redirected to Madison County, North Carolina, due to the severe devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024. The community, still actively recovering from significant wind damage, heavy rain, and extensive flooding, received much-needed relief through the project.
PuroClean took a tractor trailer and two smaller trailers loaded full of items for distribution.
Jane, known affectionately as “General Jane” within the project, and her husband Carl Roberts have spearheaded Appalachian Christmas through the Men and Women of Action since 1999. This couple are true giants of faith who have selflessly served friends in Appalachian communities for twenty-six years.
Jane and Carl lead by example. For years, they personally sold fireworks to help raise funds for purchasing food, blankets, coats, and Christmas presents for families in need. Inspired by their dedication, other couples followed suit, creating their own ways to earn money to help purchase toys, food, blankets, and Christmas decorations.
Jane and Carl Roberts center and right with Phil Thompson director of MWOA on the left
Volunteers from across the U.S. converge on a new destination each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to help those in need.
The Week’s Events:
- Saturday & Sunday: Volunteers meet, attend church, share a meal, and immediately begin setting up “pop-up” shops. These shops, typically located in a family life center or church hall, are stocked with new coats, blankets, household goods, and hygiene products.
- Tuesday: The focus shifts to food preparation as volunteers form an assembly line to fill boxes with essential items such as sugar, flour, beans, rice, meat, and pasta.
- Wednesday Morning: The local community is invited to shop the pop-up stores and receive a box of food, with volunteers helping carry items to their cars.
- Wednesday Evening: After the shops are taken down, the space is transformed into a “Christmas Wonderland,” featuring Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
- Saturday Morning: Families return for the Wonderland event, where children can select gifts and stuffed animals, sit with Santa, and mail him their wish lists via a special mailbox.
The entire event is an “incredible time” of community support, culminating in the cleanup of Santa’s Wonderland on Saturday afternoon. Volunteers depart for home on Sunday.
Pop Up Shopping
Breleigh during Santa’s Winter Wonderland
Santa and Mrs. Claus in their Winter Wonderland
Food box line preparation
This year, the Sheriff of Madison County, Buddy Harwood, requested hoodies for those in need. PuroClean championed this cause, bringing the need to the communities of Cleveland and Bradley Counties. A special thank you goes to Tasha Sullivan at Century Printworks, who volunteered to purchase the hoodies with the money raised.
Together, we delivered 185 high-quality hoodies to the people of Marshall, North Carolina. Sheriff Harwood has a heart for the people he serves, and any items left over will continue to support the local community through his ongoing projects to provide food and clothing.
Sheriff Buddy Harwood and PuroClean Property Damage Experts owner Charles Atkins
