Editor’s Note: This article was updated Oct. 8 at 10:45 a.m. to add another drop-off location.
MOUNT VERNON — Several groups are organizing donations to support the relief effort for those devastated by Hurricane Helene.
The ones listed below are the ones we know of so far. Let us know if you know of other efforts, and we will update our list.
Main Market & Beyond
Danville’s business association, Main Market & Beyond, will collect supplies on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Danville Community Park. Mountain View General Store, a community-based general store in Limestone, TN, will distribute the items. W&W Transport will provide the truck to take the supplies to Limestone.
Danny Gum & Kim Weitkamp Gum
Danny Gum and Kim Weitkamp Gum will accept items on Mount Vernon’s Public Square on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 2-4 p.m. Anyone wishing to donate items but who cannot drop them off on the square can email kimweitkamp@gmail.com to make other arrangements.
They will deliver the supplies on Tuesday, Oct. 8, to a drop-off site in Newport, Tennessee. The supplies will then go to Irwin, Hartford, and Roan Mountain, all in Tennessee, near the Nolichucky River.
An excavating company is using its equipment to clear mud and make roads. The company owners also have 12 horses they are using for search and rescue and to deliver supplies on the back side of Roan Mountain. Roan Mountain is home to many elderly individuals who have not been heard from.
Urgent items needed:
Baby wipes, diapers
Tampons, sanitary pads
Aleve/Advil
Fresh towels (new or gently used, washed)
Blankets (new/gently used, washed
Dog food
Adult unisex hoodies and sweatpants all sizes
Kids socks/underwear and sweat pants/hoodies
Items not accepted:
Clothing other than unisex hoodies and sweatpants. Volunteers in the affected areas say it’s too difficult to sort through specific clothing; they need to be able to “grab and go.”
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services: 1485 Yauger Road
Dave Culbertson and his team are partnering with a Realtor in North Carolina in conjunction with Operation AirDrop. He will link up with Realtor Shannon Cole in Fort Mills, SC, across the state line from Charlotte, NC.
They will deliver the supplies to an Operation AirDrop distribution drop-off site. Operation AirDrop will drop the items into remote locations where needed.
Howard Hannah will accept donations until noon on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Place the items in a donation box on the back patio. Culbertson will leave for South Carolina on Wednesday morning.
Note: As of 8 a.m. Oct. 4, Culbertson requests lighter-weight items due to the weight of items already collected.
For more information, call 740-485-1641.
Items needed (but not limited to):
Sports drink (powdered packets)
Hydration packs (powder form)
Baby wipes & baby formula
Diapers
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Plastic utensils, paper plates/bowls
Manual can openers
Trash bags (13-gallon or contractor)
Nonperishable foods
Cleaning supplies
Plastic sheeting or tarps
Toothbrushes & toothpaste
Toiletries
Sanitary items
Pet food (dog & cat)
Hand sanitizer & sanitizer wipes
Feminine hygiene products
Heavy-duty work gloves
Socks (all sizes unopened)
New towels
First aid supplies
Chewable Benadryl
Tylenol (childrens and adult), aspirin, ibuprofen
Batteries, solar phone chargers, portable solar panels
Items not accepted:
Used clothes, hazmat (most chemicals, including bleach), fuel, flammable items, and canned goods or water (due to the weight).
Bradford Performing Arts Center: 506 Harcourt Road
The Bradford Performing Arts Center accepts items between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. If you need to drop off at a different time, call or text 740-392-8277.
To make a monetary donation, make checks payable to ApCo Ohio or contact Venmo information. Items will be delivered to North Carolina on Oct. 13.
In addition to the above items, specific items needed the most include:
27-gallon totes with lids to preserve food and keep things dry
Non-perishable food
Plastic shelves
Coffee
Camp table
6-foot table
5-gallon buckets
Cutting board
Plastic wear
Bottled water
Hand sanitizer
Sandwich bags
Brown paper lunch bags
Fredericktown Community Fire Department: 139 Columbus Road, Fredericktown
The FCFD will collect monetary donations only through Friday, Oct. 11.
Donations can be dropped off at the fire station. Fire station personnel will also arrange to pick up a donation or provide a link for electronic transfers.
If you need assistance donating, call Fire Chief Scott Mast at 740-501-9314. Make checks payable to the Fredericktown Firefighters Association.
The FCFD is working with a fire department in the northwest region of North Carolina. Mast plans to hand-deliver the donations to the department.
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