TWIN FALLS, Idaho — As damage is still being assessed from Hurricane Milton in Florida, folks in Tennessee and North Carolina are still reeling from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago. Now, a community-based supply drive is organizing aid in the Magic Valley to help with the on-the-ground cleanup efforts.
- Donations are being accepted at three Magic Valley Locations: Buhl Bible Church, Grocery Outlet in Twin Falls, and New Life Community Church in Wendell.
- A list of items needed is frequently updated, and can be found at Buhl Bible Church's Facebook Page
- The final push for donations is on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Twin Falls Grocery Outlet location
- Examples of items needed include: bottled water, first aid kits, baby wipes, non-perishable foods, toilet paper, hygiene products, feminine hygiene products, instant baby formula, baby food, diapers, manual can openers, flashlights, batteries, new blankets and pillows, snow shovels, generators, propane, hornet spray, extension cords, chainsaws, cleaning supplies, dehumidifiers, tarps, etc.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
As Tiffany and Jordon Greager saw reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Tennessee and North Carolina, they knew they wanted to do something to help.
"As I was hearing specifically about the need for formula and diapers and things like that, as a mom, I felt super burdened in my heart that there's a huge need and they're having such difficulty getting things out there," Tiffany said.
Members of Buhl Bible Church, the Greagers have contacts in Tennessee through an associated ministry, so they reached out to see what they needed.
"When we first thought about it and said how can we do this? We had nothing," Jordon said. "We had a truck. It may be a pick up truck and a trailer."
One of their fellow church members a offered up a semi to haul everything south.
"Now our goal is just to fill the truck and get it out there," Jordon said.
"It's been kind of a homegrown fellowship movement that's just kind of exploded out into the whole community," Tiffany said.
Now with three Magic Valley locations collecting donations through Saturday: Buhl Bible Church, Grocery Outlet in Twin Falls, and in Wendell at New Life Community Church.
The supplies will head to Greenville Tennessee, where volunteers are trying to salvage neighborhoods, house by house.
"Those guys are on the ground there they're shoveling out houses trying to save them and dry them out so they can still live in their houses," Jordon said. "Part of the supplies are going to go to them to keep them working on the ground."
The Greagers are organizing a big drive outside of Grocery Outlet in Twin Falls, updating requests from their Tennessee counterparts online.
"Yeah, there's a lot of needs right now," Tiffany said. "We are specifically requested from the people on the ground in Tennessee for coolers, Mr. Buddy Heaters, camp stoves, and then propane – the little ones and the big ones."
And of course, they're grateful for any and all hygiene supplies, baby items like food and diapers, and non-perishable foods.
