BERLIN – As residents in the Carolinas contend with flooding in the wake of Hurricane Florence, Delmarva businesses and community members are leading efforts to collect and donate supplies to those in need.
In Dewey Beach, for example, town officials are collecting hygiene and household items, first aid and cleaning supplies, non-perishable foods, and more.
Town Clerk Ashleigh Hudson said she will be leaving Dewey Beach on Oct. 4 and driving to Wilmington, N.C., where donations will be delivered to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
“If the roads are not passable by that date, we will be delivering them to the Greenville, N.C. location,” she said.
Hudson said community members can deliver any items to Dewey Beach Town Hall at 105 Rodney Ave. by 4 p.m. on Sept. 28. She added she hopes to have even more donations then last year’s supply drive for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
“The 15-foot U-Haul we drove was packed to the brim,” she said. “It was so humbling to see how generous and thoughtful our community truly is, and it makes me proud to call this area home.”
Hudson encouraged anyone to donate.
“In reference to Hurricane Florence, it was an east coast landfall storm,” she said. “It just as easily could have been us now needing the assistance. I am glad it’s not, but sad for those who are. We should extend our arms and hands to others in need when the opportunity allows during situations such as this.”
For more information on the town’s donation drive, call 302-227-6363 or email [email protected].
In Ocean Pines, the association – with the help of its employees and board of directors – has also begun collecting non-perishable food items, bottled water, baby supplies, pet supplies and more to those in the Carolinas.
“The aftermath is devastating,” said Denise Sawyer, marketing and public relations director of Ocean Pines Association. “Families are displaced and homes are destroyed. Help us as the Ocean Pines Association extends relief to the victims of Hurricane Florence.”
The collection effort started last Friday and will continue through Oct. 12. The Association is asking residents to contribute the following items: powdered drink mixes like Crystal Light, Gatorade, coffee, granola bars, crackers, energy bars, non-perishable microwaveable food, canned fruit and nuts, games and playing cards, mops, brooms, Lysol, dog and cat food, pet treats, cat litter and books.
Other needed items include toiletries like toilet tissue, Tums, toothpaste and toothbrushes, hand sanitizers, hand towels, emery boards, nail clippers, foot powder, talcum powder, body lotion, ChapStick, deodorant, diapers, baby bottles, baby food and baby formula and more. Clothing, liquids and perishable items will not be accepted.
Drop off points will include the Ocean Pines Community Center at 235 Ocean Parkway, Public Works at 1 Firehouse Lane, the Sports Core Pool at 11144 Cathell Road and the Administration Building, including the Police Department, at 239 Ocean Parkway.
For more information about the Ocean Pines Relief Effort, call 410-641-7717, or email [email protected].
Poultry businesses on Delmarva are also suppling in-kind donations.
Last week, for example, Mountaire Farms sent 40,000 pounds of chicken to North Carolina – where Operation BBQ Relief volunteers have set up mobile cooking operations – and a truckload of supplies, including diapers, baby food, toiletries, blankets, pillows, clothing and water, for employees impacted by the hurricane.
In addition, Perdue Farms trucks arrived in the Carolinas earlier this week to deliver 500,000 pounds of food and donations to local American Red Cross chapters. The company has also donated $250,000 through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the company’s charitable giving arm, to American Red Cross chapters in the region.
“The losses endured by thousands of Carolinians, including many of our associates, farmers and their families, is heartbreaking. It hits close to home,” said Randy Day, CEO of Perdue Farms. “We hope our contributions will speed the recovery process in the region.”
