The devastation of Hurricane Helene is still being felt throughout North Carolina as the death toll rises and people are stranded with no resources. Entire homes were washed away, pets have been lost, and some have no access to clean drinking water.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has reported that “There are 102 verified storm-related fatalities in North Carolina as of November 6, 2024.” That number is still rising and does not account for all of the people that have gone missing after the hurricane.
Many humanitarian organizations are arriving to aid the counties in North Carolina that have faced the most devastation. Some of these organizations include Mercy Chefs, Samaritan’s Purse, and Habitat for Humanity.
Powhatan High School’s JROTC classes decided they couldn’t sit on the sidelines and organized a community-wide drive to collect useful items for the victims of Hurricane Helene. Some of these items included diapers, toiletries, and various articles of clothing.
They partnered with The Long Range Reconnaissance Association (LRRA), who supported this humanitarian effort by giving them a generous $4,000 to be put towards purchasing supplies for North Carolina. The LRRA is an organization that active and honorary members of specialized military units can join that hosts events, creates a community of veterans, and honors the fallen men.
One of Powhatan High School’s own JROTC teachers, Major Mark Herlick, is the president of The LRRA and he made this possible by connecting the organization with the school. Thanks to the combined efforts of the money donated by the LRRA and the diligent efforts of the JROTC students and staff, the $4,000 was used to purchase valuable supplies, such as extension cords, towels, and detergent.
However, supplies weren’t just donated by the LRRA. The Powhatan community also showed up and donated what is estimated to be over $6,000 worth of supplies to this drive. When interviewed, Mark Herlick commented that he thought around 60% of the donations were from the community.
All of the supplies collected through this month-long drive were sorted and packaged at Powhatan High School by the JROTC staff and students. These people spent a lot of their time on this cause and even hosted a donation event at one of the school football games.
Donovan Burson, a veteran and friend of Mark Herlick, has volunteered to drive all of the supplies donated to North Carolina with his truck and trailer. This was a very generous offer that has been greatly appreciated by all who took part in this drive.
Burson is driving the donations to Morganton, North Carolina and it will all be dropped off to the First Church of God located there. The church will then distribute the supplies because they know what areas were impacted the most.
There were many organizations and people that made this Hurricane Helene drive happen here at Powhatan High School and we would like to give a special thanks to The Long Range Reconnaissance Association, The First Church of God in Morganton, the JROTC students, Mark Herlick, Donovan Burson, and all of the Powhatan community members that showed up to make this possible.
