Supplies Headed South to Help Hurricane Victims
Truckloads of supplies are on their way south to the victims of Hurricane Helene thanks to the efforts of the Brookhaven Fire Department Auxiliary and caring residents across Long Island.
“We were busy all day,” said auxiliary President Jaime Wahlfeld, who helped organize the collection drive on Sunday. “It was wonderful to see the generosity and caring of our community.”
The volunteers collected 12 pallets of everything from dog food to diapers, first sent to a central dispatch point at the Lindenhurst Firehouse and then to North Carolina, where Wahlfeld said members have friends and families impacted by the storm. “There were four tractor trailers full of supplies ready to go, and they were loading up more,” she said. The donation drive is ongoing and supplies can be dropped off at the Brookhaven Firehouse on Montauk Highway.
Local businesses and residents pitched in, including the Johnny Mac Foundation, East End Signs, BJs, and Shirley Pet and Feed. Donated items included batteries, baby supplies, blankets, household goods, medicine, tents, tools, and grills. Girl Scout Olivia Phillips of Mastic and her troop members assisted the effort by setting up collection boxes at locations throughout the community. Auxiliary Vice President Karlene Kellison was the “backbone” of the drive with members of the Brookhaven Department also taking part.
Helene was a devastating weather event that caused massive flooding and wind damage as it roared north out of the Gulf of Mexico. It made landfall on September 26 near Perry, Florida, as a powerful Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 mph, one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the Florida Big Bend. Western North Carolina was hit particularly hard with unprecedented flooding and mudslides from up to 30 inches of rain.
The Brookhaven department has conducted similar drives in the past, including a collection in the wake of Hurricane Matthew in 2019. Across Long Island, donors are sending tons of supplies to those in need, including a caravan of trucks and trailers loaded by Lloyd Harbor businessman George Schwertl, who also sent supplies to Texas after Hurricane Harvey. The effort was organized by Halesite Fire Chief Dom Spata with assistance from Ken Edwards and George’s sons Maximilian and George, Jr.