Relief efforts continue in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Areas hardest hit are experiencing flooding, food shortages, lack of access to clean water, and loss of property and life.
Many in our communities are extending a helping hand, and you can be a part of it.
SEE ALSO How to avoid disaster scams
Help for 911 Centers in the Augusta GA area
Lynn Smith, Director of Habersham EMS-911, wanted to help first responders and those in the field through 911 Centers in the Augusta, GA area hit by Hurricane Helene.
“So many of the 911 Centers have been rerouted due to the damage from the Hurricane,” Smith said. “There also tends to be a lack of help for those giving the help.”
As a Board Member of APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials), Smith quickly organized supply collection and distribution. “We have taken 3 loads and have another going out Sunday.”
Smith said so many counties in the area have been impacted. Stores are not open and people are without power.
If you would like to contribute basic need supplies, items are being collected at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center (the room on the right as you walk in the main entrance). You can also drop off at the 911 Center, 175 EOC Drive (off Chase Rd.) Cornelia, GA. 706-778-3911 or Peaches Cafe, 131 Hodges Street in Cornelia.
Help for Ashville, North Carolina
Victory Baptist Church will deliver a 53-foot trailer full of supplies, a 30-foot pull-behind, and a rented Uhaul. “I knew we wanted to do something and I tried to get in touch with several agencies like Samaritan’s Purse but couldn’t connect with anyone,” Pastor Shane Jenkins of Victory Baptist Church explained. “Then, I contacted the local church in Western North Carolina, Freedom Baptist. Pastor Kellan Griffen let us know the needs of the area.”
Jenkins and several volunteers are on their way to deliver water, baby diapers, horse feed, pet food, and so much more. “The community has been amazing. In the first few hours of our collecting, we only had 2 small bags and I thought, ‘What have I done?’ Little did I know what the Lord’s people would bring to help.”
Victory Baptist plans to bring another 53 ft trailer stocked full in 2 to 3 weeks. You can drop off supplies at the church in the Fellowship Hall located at 1094 GA-17, Demorest, GA. You can call the church office for information at 678-463-7985.
Help for Black Mountain, Chimney Rock, and Burnsville, N.C.
Robbie and Stanley Cook knew from the moment they heard of the devastation from Hurricane Helene, they wanted to do something to help. Just the weekend before, the couple had spent time enjoying Chimney Rock, North Carolina, which has been wiped out.
“The roads are gone,” Stanley Cook said of his recent trip to the area to deliver supplies. “We are having to deliver food and water to communities on a four-wheeler. It is like nothing you can even imagine.”
The Cooks are working with the Fire Department in Black Mountain. It is estimated that it could take over a year just to normalize life in this area. Generators are in high demand as well as fuel to run them. People are having to hike to get necessary items such as medications, formula, and diapers.
Stanley said he has not seen any agencies so far in this area such as Red Cross or FEMA. What he has seen is exhaustion. “No one was prepared for this type of damage. There were no evacuation routes or plans for flooding of this nature,” Stanley added. “Most people there do not have flood insurance. People have lost everything – home, car, land. It is overwhelming.”
If you would like to help this area of North Carolina, the Cooks have an enclosed trailer at McGahee, Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home located at 175 VFW Post Road, Cornelia, GA. If you’d like to get more information, please call Robbie at (706) 499-7272.
Disaster areas in greatest need
Pastor Mike Thomas of The Torch, 800 Cannon Bridge Road, Demorest, GA., shared their plans to help. “We are collecting supplies. You can find the list of needs on our website. Right now, we are planning to find the areas in greatest need to deliver to where we have trusted partners who provide accountability to reach the people in need,” Thomas said.
You can bring supplies on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Demorest and Dahlonega Campuses.
Items requested for donation:
- Tarps
- Plastic Bottled Water
- Diapers, Baby Food, and Formula
- Buckets and Storage Totes
- Bleach/Clorox
- Gloves (Latex and Work)
- Cleaning supplies
- Mops & brooms
- Chain Saws
- Toilet Paper & Paper Towels
- Extension Cords
Several years ago, Pastor Mike Franklin and Pastor Thomas were in Deyemon Haiti when Category 4 Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016.
“We had a team on the ground,” Franklin remembers. “It is hard to compare the two. The loss of life was incredulous in Haiti because they didn’t have quality structures to live in. To quantify the loss would be challenging because many in both groups lost everything. Lives have been forever changed. And everything has to be rebuilt.”
Help for farming community Marshall, North Carolina
“One out of ten people in this area receive their livelihood through farming.” That’s Lara Taylor, owner of Amy’s Creek Market Place, 6033 Hwy 17 in Clarkesville, GA. Her best friend since childhood lives in the area.
“Her house is gone,” Lara said. “Her horses are in a rock quarry right now. It is unbelievable.”
Lara and her husband Caleb have a heart for the farmers of the area. At the time we spoke, Caleb was cutting a 91-acre field someone donated for hay for the animals of the Marshall area.
“We plan to take supplies on October 11 and be there through the weekend,” Lara said. Her faith is strong and she believes we are all vessels to give others what they need during this time.
The couple will deliver the supplies to the Marshall, NC, fairgrounds where a distribution team is waiting for their arrival. You can donate feed for horses, pet food, water, diapers, and more at Amy’s Creek Market Place.
“My friend’s brother has a farm about 10 minutes down the road from her. He has lost all his land but 12 acres. His barn was filled with water to the roof,” Lara added.
If you have any questions or want additional information, please call Lara or Caleb at 706-754-4851.
Additional information
Please email [email protected] if you are collecting donations for Hurricane Helene. We are vetting those who contact us so our readers are confident the supplies will get where they want them to go. Now Habersham will add to the list as more information comes in.
