When Brandon and Davie opened DayTrip in Asheville 32 days ago, it fulfilled their dream of giving back to the LGBTQ+ community in western North Carolina. Now, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastating flooding, which has wiped out entire towns in the area, the business has been destroyed.
The men took out a large business loan and a second mortgage, plus poured their life savings into opening the safe space for the community’s LGBTQ+ population. Now, they’re facing financial ruin and worried about their employees’ survival.
The New York Times was with Brandon as he returned to what had been his life’s ambition for the first time after the torrential flooding that destroyed the town. But the queer community is still with the men as donations have started rolling in to help them recover and rebuild.
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“There are so many devastating losses in Western NC right now, it is hard to wrap our heads around it and know where to start to help. Our community faces a long uphill road to recovery, and there are so many people who need assistance. Part of what makes this community so vibrant and wonderful are the small businesses that provide us with unique and fun places to come together,” Meredith Sims, a friend of the couple, wrote in a GoFundMe she started to assist them to recoup their losses.
“They spent countless months and so much blood, sweat and tears renovating the space and realizing their dream of creating a cozy and quirky place for friends and neighbors to come and feel welcome. And it was that place for a sweet brief time.
“As everyone is trying to navigate through the slow process of insurance claims, the bills are still coming due, and the employees have no income until they rebuild. Brandon and Davie used their life savings and took out a large business loan to get this dream of theirs started. In all, they put over $180,000 into this business and are now facing the daunting task of rebuilding from the ground up,” she continued. “They need to pay their business loans and other bills and, in typical Brandon and Davie fashion, their first concern was their employees. They really want to be able to provide their employees with some assistance during this extremely difficult time.”
Donations have started pouring in, and 3,500 people have donated to help them rebuild and support their employees. Hopefully, while the original dream only lasted for 32 days, the second chance will give them – and the local community – a lifetime of joy.
You can donate to help with the recovery at GoFundMe.
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