Storm victims still need help
Just as a Columbia County disaster outreach group asked for more support for the Florida victims of Hurricane Charley, county officials were preparing for another hurricane named Frances.
Wesley United Methodist Church volunteers Gary Kendrick and Karen Malcom box up merchandise that will be delivered to Florida to aid victims of Hurricane Charley.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
On Thursday, county emergency officials decided to designate potential shelter areas for possible coastal evacuees from Hurricane Frances. Those shelter sites - Wesley United Methodist Church, Marvin United Methodist, Lewis Memorial United Methodist, Patriots Park and Powell Baptist - were to be opened in succession, depending on need.
At the time, officials said hotels were beginning to fill up with reservations for Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, with the support of Wesley United Methodist, Club Car and more than 100 Columbia County businesses and industries were asking again for the public's help in giving donations to the victims of Hurricane Charley. The group will continue to collect donated items for the victims through Tuesday.
Pat Williams, a Wesley United Methodist Church member, said those wanting to donate items on Labor Day can do so by dropping items off inside the tractor trailer that Club Car has donated to transport the supplies to Florida.
"People have been dropping (items) off inside the church in the gathering space and inside the Club Car trailer," she said. "But the church will be closed (Labor Day), but I'm going to leave the trailer open so people can make their donations. That's not a problem."
Since the recovery outreach began on Aug. 26, Williams said, several items have been donated from both community and civic organizations and individual families.
"We have gotten a lot of diapers, rakes, crow bars, lots of work gloves, insect repellent, baby formula, shampoo and toiletries and personal care items," she said.
But she said more is still needed.
"We've not gotten a lot," she said. "We are definitely in need of more items to send down."
Columbia County Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker said some of the items needed include: new bath and face towels, mouthwash, first aid items, rain ponchos and duct tape.
Donated items can be dropped off at Wesley United Methodist Church at 825 North Belair Road in Evans Monday and Tuesday between 9-11 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. For more information, call Pat Williams at 869-0888.