COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- Two Central Virginia groups are teaming up to help folks who lost everything when the remnants of Hurricane Helene swept through the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia.
Volunteers with Virginia Crime Prevention Training and Technical Assistance Center (VCPT) and Three Sisters Consulting, Inc. packed relief supplies Thursday in the back room of the Keystone Tractor Museum.
“It’s kind of like Christmas because we don’t know what’s in the box,” Tami Wyrick with VCPT said.
After sorting and repacking the boxes donated by Amazon, the items will be sent to western North Carolina.
“They truly have nothing, they lost everything, everything,” Renee Richardson with Three Sisters Consulting said. “And they are having a hard time getting items to them.”
While some items being donated in relief efforts across the country are not needed, these items are in short supply.
“It’s snowing on the mountain and they are laying on the ground, so they need bedding, cots,” Wyrick said.
Richardson added that tents, sleeping bags, hand-warmers and fuel are needed.
“The majority of items that you will see behind me are going to the flood victims,” Richardson said.
While items range from small to large, the key is they will all soon make their way to western North Carolina.
“Every box we open is going to make a difference to someone else," Wyrick said. "Something as simple as soap is going to make a big, huge difference."
Once the items are re-boxed and labeled, Keith Jones with the Keystone Tractor Museum will have them shipped out. Officials with the nonprofits said they are expecting another shipment of pallets from Amazon in early December. Those items will be shipped to western Virginia, according to organizers.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Facebook|Instagram|X|Threads|TikTok
Every day CBS 6 is giving a voice to the stories happening in your community. If you have a story idea, email our team at NewsTips@wtvr.com or click here to submit a tip.
