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Residents of Duplin County know a thing or two about the damage and heartache a tropical storm can cause. After all, in 2018, areas of the county experienced major flooding damage from Hurricane Florence, an event that some are still working to recover from. So it’s no surprise that Duplin citizens would band together to help the victims of Hurricane Helene. The storm has caused devastating flooding in western North Carolina and has so far attributed to the deaths of more than 100 people.
These are the relief efforts in Duplin County that we were aware of as of press time. Please stay tuned to local churches, nonprofit organizations and law enforcement for more ways you may be able to help those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Ashley Duff of Plan B Trucking, Inc. and Plan B Logistics, along with local churches and organizations, have set up a centralized drop-off location for donations at the old Kramer’s Building in Wallace, located at 1504 N. Norwood St. The drop-off was scheduled for Thursday, 4-9 p.m., with more dates and times to be announced.
“Unfortunately, the Duplin County area knows all too well the devastation that these storms can bring,” Duff told Duplin Journal. “Each time, we have been blessed with an outpouring of love and support from our neighbors and fellow North Carolinians, including those out west.”
“Thank you to all who have and will continue to work to support our efforts, through time, resources, and equipment,” Duff added.
The effort is a collaboration between Duff and Calvary Church, North East PFWB Church, Pastor Ross Cavanaugh and Poston Baptist Church.
ASC Hauling & Services is also accepting donations of supplies to go to western NC. “We’ve prayed about this and it’s been heavy on our hearts,” the company wrote on its Facebook page. “The goal is to load our truck and dump trailer full of needed supplies and deliver them next weekend.”
Those who would like to donate supplies are asked to call or text 910-271-3430.
Law enforcement agencies and first responders are also working to help those affected by the storm in western NC.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol Troop B, District 4, which includes Duplin and Pender counties, is also collecting supplies. Those wishing to donate items, such as bottled water, snacks, canned food, drinks and toiletries may bring them by the Kenansville office, located at 133 Routledge Road in Kenansville.
The Wallace Police Department has deployed four officers to the western region to help with recovery efforts, and a team from the Wallace Fire Department headed west on Tuesday morning.
“Ken Floyd, who used to be the Wallace Chamber president, runs a hotel in Black Mountain,” Wallace Police Chief Jimmy Crayton told Duplin Journal. “He has turned it into a shelter. So we loaded up what supplies we could in the patrol trucks and sent it with the officers on their way to Asheville.”
A team from the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office is ready to go, as well.
“All of our deputies are willing to respond but due to scheduling not all can deploy to the western part of our great state,” a DCSO Facebook post reads. “A team is formed and ready to go. This demonstrates our deputies’ strong commitment to serve and protect, near and far. They will be on assignment for at least one week.”
If you would like to donate in any way or provide supplies to be carried to the Hurricane Helene victims, please drop any donations off at the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office at 112 West Hill St., Kenansville.
In addition, the Kenansville Fire Department is collecting used turnout gear to send to firefighters in western NC for departments that have lost their gear and equipment due to Hurricane Helene.
“Kenansville Fire Department will be the drop site for the gear and we will ensure it gets to them,” Fire Chief Robert Whitman said.
He can be contacted at 910-290-2397.
Lesser Ministries and Emerge Ministries are also collecting donations for Hurricane Helene victims. Items such as bottled water, soap, toothbrushes, paper products, bleach and household cleaners, non-perishable food items, solar-powered phone chargers, feminine products, diapers and wipes, trash bags, and pet food can be donated at Kenansville Baptist and Sandy Plain Church in Beulaville. In addition, you can donate monetarily on the Emerge Ministries website, www.emerge4unity.org/give.
Charity Mission Center, which was established after Hurricane Florence, is meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 and asks that anyone willing to lead a team to help with the recovery efforts attend. Charity Mission Center is located at 1333 W. Charity Road, Rose Hill.
The center was not taking donations as of press time, due to a lack of storage space.
“We know that we serve a big God that can take care and orchestrate all that needs to happen,” the center wrote on its Facebook page.
Children in one Wallace neighborhood also held a lemonade fundraiser over the weekend, raising $3,500. The money raised is being used to purchase multiple generators, in addition to the supplies and water already purchased.
