Picture provided by Heather Graham Donated supplies are rolling in to be delivered to areas of Tennessee and Western NC by local volunteers heading to assist with relief efforts.

Hurricane Helene, which hit the Southeast on Sept. 27, was one of the worst storms in U.S. history. It left behind damage and devastation from the Florida Gulf Coast to the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.

According to the Associated Press on Wednesday, 178 deaths have been attributed to the storm, and numbers could continue to grow as rescue workers reach more of the isolated areas that are no longer accessible by road.

Three teams in the Warren community have been organizing to take supplies to the residents who have been hit the hardest and are still without power, water, and essential items.

Bob Borden and Craig Frankhouser decided to use their vacation time to take supplies and offer assistance. “We felt like we needed to help. It’s turned into something much bigger than I ever thought, from just two friends wanting to head down and offer help,” Borden said.

Borden is working with Grindstone Ministries in Jonesborough, Tenn., where there are 5,000 displaced residents. He acquired a 53-foot tractor-trailer to haul donations and will leave for Tennessee on Saturday morning. Donations are being received a Loranger International in Warren and Mike’s Service Station in Sheffield.

Borden was provided with a list of high-priority items, including feminine hygiene products, batteries of all sizes, air mattresses, canopies, tents, bedding, work gloves, small generators, diapers for all ages, and baby formula.

Frankhouser is taking a trailer with a backhoe to help with recovery efforts, along with fuel donated by United Refining.

Logan and Chelsea Hunt’s Crosswind Aviation Co. in Corry will be flying down with supplies. “Lightweight items like hygiene products and small compact items are greatly appreciated,” Chelsea Hunt said.

Another project headed up by Alicia Gatto is Warren’s Hurricane Relief Project. This effort will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot behind St Joe’s School.

Warren’s Hurricane Relief Group will be accepting new/unused items, including powdered sports drink mix, baby wipes, diapers, baby formula, bug spray, sunscreen, plastic utensils, trash bags, pet food, socks of all sizes, manual can openers, non-perishable foods, tarps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toiletries, hand sanitizer, feminine hygiene products, and work gloves.

Another Warren County native, Heather Peterson Graham, who has lived in North Carolina for around 20 years, is putting together a supply drive for items that those in Western North Carolina need most.

Graham is a teacher, and the third-grade students at her school will sort, box, and label all supplies to prepare them for delivery to the areas hit hardest.

Graham has a cash app, $heatherannNC, a Venmo account, @heather-graham-012, and an Amazon wishlist named ‘Western Carolina Disaster Relief’ https://rb.gy/kpvjuz.

While many traveling a distance have limited room to haul supplies, Graham’s supply drive does not have that hindrance. They also do not have the same time restrictions for gathering supplies as those traveling from Western Pennsylvania.

Support and relief efforts, as well as the number of community groups and individuals stepping up to volunteer and donate, are encouraging and heartening during times of distress.