Volunteers use chainsaws to bring people together following storm aftermath

Chainsaws are typically used to separate things, not bring things together.

But one Asheville man is seeing how the power of a chainsaw can unite communities.

Asheville resident Chuck Chiavaras, 83, is a busy bee.

"When you're green you grow, when you're ripe you rot, and I don't want to be a banana," said Chiavaras.

It's one if his favorite quotes from a motivational speaker he saw in Los Angeles.

He showed us around his property, pointing out all of the fallen trees including a large Poplar tree.

"One there and the other one there and all of these fell over the road," said Chiavaras. "I cleaned all that up and I tell you what I'm glad we had chainsaws."

He is among the hundreds of people across Western Carolina picking up the pieces from a devastating storm.

"We're[he and his family] blessed we're alive. My fingers work and what the heck, cut the wood up."

But before he can pick them up he has to cut them, and he needs the right equipment to get the job done.

That's where Oregon Tools comes into the picture.

Oregon Products Disaster Relief's Brett Beddow is from New Bern, NC.

He said their volunteer group consists of people from Oregon and Illinois.

"We volunteered to come here and do basic chainsaw maintenance, sharpening to help the people of the greater Asheville area and Western North Carolina to sharpen chainsaws to they can cut themselves out," said Beddow.

For the past four days, their disaster relief volunteer group has been here at Grace Point Church on Woodlands Hill Road, using these grinder machines to restore chainsaws.

"So what it does, the wheel will reshape the cutters," said Beddow. "So when the cutters get worn, the chrome peels back and the cutters themselves get dull."

A dull chainsaw isn't any good for cutting down large trees.

Oregon Tools has already repaired more than 200 chainsaws, giving out tools and more for free.

They will be at 1570-1592 Grovestone Road in Black Mountain doing the same.

Oregon Tools Disaster Relief's Jake Wade said people visiting their sites need to keep something in mind.

"If you show up here without your saw, just get an image of the tail of the bar right through here," said Wade. "That tells us everything we need to know to make sure you're set up right."

They have helped first responders, linemen, tree services and even homeowners like Chiavaras.

"They were amazing," said Chiavaras.

Beddow anticipates they will run out of materials by the end of next week.

"We're just here to help the people of North Carolina put their lives back together," said Beddow.

Beddow said they also have a station in Valdosta, Georgia.