Rebuilding Hope, Inc. is using one of its warehouses as a staging area and has two trailers ready to load up with much-needed supplies that will be delivered to western North Carolina that was ravaged by flooding and mudslides last week by Hurricane Helene.
Robbie Parham, one of the chaplains at the local nonprofit, said RHI has connections with several churches in the affected areas, including Crab Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville, where Kevin Long is pastor.
Parham said one trailer left today for Hendersonville, loaded with beds, generators and some food – leftover #10 cans of potatoes and string beans from last week’s chicken plate fundraiser.
“When you have a storm like this, people feel like they want to help,” Parham said. “The problem is getting the assets there” where they can be put to use.
Large organizations like Samaritan’s Purse and Baptists on Mission are already hard at work getting supplies to devastated areas like Asheville and other areas where so many people are out of electricity and water.
“Rebuilding Hope has the ability to mobilize,” Parham said, and the doors will be open to the whole community to help get the trailers filled. Normally open 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Parham said RHI is extending its hours to 5 p.m. to accept donations. Drive to the rear of the building to the back warehouse and someone will be available to take your donations.
Rebuilding Hope plans to get to the smaller towns now, Parham said, to help lessen the “logistical nightmare” of getting supplies from the big cities to those less populated areas where the need is just as great.
Some people just aren’t comfortable making online donations, Parham said, adding that actually purchasing items and dropping them off at Rebuilding Hope gives people peace of mind that their donation will go where it is most needed.
Many of those who will deliver the loaded trailers are disaster-trained, Parham said. “They feel led to hit the ground when disasters happen.”
Visit https://rebuildinghopeinc.org/ or call 252.438.5132 to learn more.
Here’s a list of items that are most needed at this time:
- Bottled Water
- Packaged nonperishable foods
- Peel top canned foods
- Paper plates
- Plastic forks & spoons
- Paper towels
- Toilet Paper
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes
- Disinfectant wipes
- Multipurpose cleaner
- Large trash Bags
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