Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts
We are wanting to continue coming together as a church family and community to do everything we can for the victims of the devastation that has taken place so close to home. We are collecting much-needed items at the church to help those impacted by the storm. We will sort and distribute the supplies based on the most urgent needs. Working with West Park Street Baptist Church in Erwin, TN, we are staying informed and responding to the biggest immediate needs. On this page along with Social Media, we will aim to keep you informed on the biggest donation needs, and any volunteer opportunities that arise.
Current Needs
As of October 24, 2024, we are temporarily pausing item collection due to our warehouse being full. We are shipping items out as fast as we can and will announce when collections will resume.
- Gasoline cans
- diesel cans
- propane bottles
- 2 cycle engine oil
- shovels
- batteries
- flashlights
- bug spray
- sleeping bags
- tarps
- children’s toys/arts and crafts
- blankets
- non-perishable foods
- can openers
Additional Needs:
- Grills
- small camping grills
- hot plates - either new or no longer needed/used.
- individually packed snack foods that can easily be put in the pockets of first responders/search and rescue teams while out in the field (crackers, cereal bars, protein bars, etc.)
There is always a need for toiletries like shampoo, body wash, toothpaste and tooth brushes, basic hygiene supplies. They could also use bath towels, new or gently used.
These items are also on our amazon wishlist, as there is an ongoing need. (If you use the amazon wishlist, please ensure that you select “Alan Johnson” for shipping at checkout and this will be sent straight to Erwin and get where it needs to go.)
What’s Been Happening
Due to strict guidelines and technicalities by some of the larger donation organizations, many perfectly good and usable donations that would be a massive blessing to victims are unable to be used because they aren’t new with tags. Before these get thrown out we are able to intercept them and get them stored in our warehouse to be sorted and sent out to those who need them.
We have been able to use our discord full church chat to express immediate needs, and many from our church family with trucks and trailers have stepped up last minute and often times late at night to get these donations to our warehouse where we can sort and deliver.
We will be keeping things up to date here, and some on social media, but to keep up with ongoing conversation and last minute immediate needs, connect with us on discord and join the hurricane relief chat. (make sure you turn on notifications for that specific chat room.) Click the link below to get connected.
Boots on the Ground
We are always looking for hands-on work that needs to be done in support of the towns and victims affected by the hurricane. We will keep you up to date on any opportunities.
One way you can find opportunities is through Samaritan’s Purse. We are looking at the potential of organizing a team to work with Samaritan’s purse on clean up and restoration projects. Meanwhile, you can always check out how you can personally get involved by following the link below.
