LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Although Hurricane Helene has dissipated, the trail of damage it left behind is still ever-present in the South. The demand for supplies continues to grow with every passing day, and some people right here at home are taking on the task of supplying.
"To me, it doesn't matter; we're never too small to make a difference, and I think that people focus on that, and if you see a need and you can meet a need, you're supposed to help," said Katherine Plummer, the office manager at Plummer Towing.
"The reason we wanted to help is, this area was devastated in 1972 and a couple of other years, but we feel what they're feeling right now," said Tim Lambert, finance manager at McCarthy Tire.
Despite the destruction being hundreds of miles away, the damage is close to home for those at McCarthy Tire and Plummer Towing.
"Our manager down there lost his home. He and his daughter barely escaped, and we had a couple of other teammates who barely escaped," said Gary Lambert, purchasing manager at McCarthy Tire.
“We have family down there; I have two aunts and a couple of cousins. They were missed, thank God, but it could have been them, and I think that they can't do what we have the ability to do and get things together in the trucks and the people," said Plummer.
Although both companies have only been accepting donations for a couple of days, they're already on their way to making a real difference to the people hurt by Helene.
"We started collecting things yesterday, and really the response late yesterday and this morning was overwhelming; we can't believe the amount of donations we've received already," said Gary.
"Cleaning supplies: There are wet wipes, warm wet wipes, diapers, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and paper towels. Like I said, these are first-day donations. We're just getting started," said Plummer.
Here's a list of locations where you can donate supplies in Lackawanna County and Luzerne County:
- Plummer Towing, 2058 Lackawanna Trail, Dalton, PA
- McCarthy Tire, 340 Kidder Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA
- AMP Global Office, 90 N Pioneer Ave, Shavertown, PA
- Luzerne County Fairgrounds: Saturday, 9 A.M. to 2 P.M.