To donate, bring supplies to 232 Heilman Ave., Door D2
Two Henderson County moms say they didn’t know a small plan to help victims of Hurricane Helene would grow into a community-wide effort. But that’s what has happened to the plan Magan Gelzleichter and Brandy Boucherie originally hatched.
They say they had been texting back and forth about what they could do to help, when on Tuesday, they decided they were going to publicize a small collection to take place at Boucherie Winery (where Brandy is business and events manager). Then they planned to take what they collected and drive a truck to Tennessee to deliver the donation themselves.
But soon they got in contact with Linda Epley, a friend of Gelzleichter’s mother, at the Henderson Police Department. Epley had organized previous local relief efforts, they say, and after she reached out to others and the word spread, Gelzleichter and Boucherie learned their initial small effort had grown. By Friday, Pittsburg Tank and Tower had supplied a 70,000-square-foot warehouse as a location to collect the donations.
“It’s definitely a lot bigger than what we planned,” Boucherie said. “We’re just two moms who wanted to do something good over fall break.”
The warehouse, located at 232 Heilman Ave., Door D2, is scheduled to remain open until Oct. 20 as the drop-off point, but both said it could stay open for as long as Hendersonians want to donate.
Once enough supplies are brought in, a semi-trailer will be filled and driven to Bristol Motor Speedway which is serving as “a major donation and collection site, provide logistics for search and rescue operations in a central staging area, and also house a regional disaster relief hotline,” according to the racetrack’s website.
Trucks are being supplied by local trucking company Silver Creek Transportation, owned by Jason Cowan. Boucherie said Cowan has agreed to pay all the costs to get the trucks to Bristol and back, though he’d like some help from the community for gas costs, an estimated $300 per round trip.
At about noon Monday, eight tables were set out for the different items that the group is collecting: Food and Water, Cleaning and Tools; Baby Items; Pet Supplies & Miscellaneous; Personal Care; Blankets, Pillows and Cots; Storage Items; and First Aid.
Donations can be made from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
They ask that no clothing be donated.
As of noon Monday, there were six people who were planning to take shifts at the collections site—Epley, Boucherie, Gelzleichter, Kenny Garrett and Jill Ward from Henderson County Office of Emergency Management, and Eric Gardner from PTTG.
To volunteer to work a shift, click here.
Monetary donations are also accepted. Monetary donations to the Henderson County Helene Relief Fund can be made through CashApp to https://cash.app/$HCKYHelene or Venmo at https://venmo.com/u/HCKYHelene
Local businesses who want to help, please email hckyhelene@gmail.com or text one of the numbers on the flyer.
Additionally, anything purchased from the HCKY Helene Amazon Wishlist at
https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/CQGS9MXX1J12 will be shipped directly to an aide distribution center near the affected area, according to a release from the Henderson County OEM.
