Several local organizations are working to provide much-needed supplies to the areas of Louisiana recently affected by floods.
The Demopolis Fire Department Local 3663, Spiller Furniture and Mattress, and Marengo High School are among the local groups lending a helping hand following what the Red Cross has described as the worst natural disaster since Hurrican Sandy struck New Jersey in 2012.
The Demopolis Fire Department Local 3663 are asking the public to participate in a drive to help the victims of the flooding.
Members of the union will be set up at Vowell’s Fresh Market on Thursday, Sept. 1; Friday, Sept. 2; and Saturday Sept. 3 to accept donations that will be sent to Louisiana. They will be located in the parking lot of the store from 8 a.m. to noon each day.
Organizers said they will be accepting nonperishable food items, clothing and household items that will be taken to Louisiana.
“Basically some of our guys got emails from Baton Rouge asking for help. There’s no specific item they need … they need everything,” said DFD 3662 member Greg Russell who is helping organize the donation drive along with Chris Foster
Helping the firefighters in their effort is Dana Transport who is providing a trailer and a driver to haul the donations to Baton Rouge. Vowell’s also helped by contacting Coca-Cola who is providing signs for the donation drive. The DFD will have trucks on site at Vowell’s to bring attention to the drive, according to Russell.
“If anybody wants to come and volunteer to load the trailer, we’ll be happy to have them. We really want this to be a community effort to help the people in Louisiana,” he added.
Spiller Furniture & Mattress is also collecting supplies at all of its 13 locations.
“One of our employees here has a son that lives in Baker, Louisiana and works at a church there. The church along with many of its members and friends lost most everything in the floods. Our collected items will be sent there,” said Rob Moore, director of advertising for Spiller Furniture.
Among the locations collecting items are stores in Demopolis, Selma, Greensboro, and Eutaw.
Spiller will collect supplies through September 9 and will be delivering the supplies to Louisiana after the collections end.