1 week Ago By Isak Dinesen
FARGO — A Fargo woman is collecting essential items for victims of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. She became inspired to help after watching the aftermath on TV, and says the people there need help for the long-term. "'Please, people of North Dakota and Minnesota, please don't forget us,' these are the words that keep going through my mind," Susan Scheel said.
That's a conversation Scheel recently had with a woman in western North Carolina. Hurricane Helene ripped through cities like Asheville three weeks ago, and once Scheel saw what happened, she felt she needed to do something. "We can sit there for hours and say, 'My oh my, what's going on in the southeast?" Scheel said.
"But it's so important when we have been helped many times in the Red River Valley." She gathered friends together at Bethany Retirement Living to figure out a plan and reach out to the people helping with recovery. Even now, there's still a great deal of need.
"They've lost their homes, they've lost their clothes other than what they have on their back. They don't have water to drink," Scheel said. Along with jackets and water, they're going to be collecting hygiene products and warming items such as blankets and quilts.
Those will be driven down to North Carolina in November and distributed by a church in Asheville. "Charities such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc. Come in for the first month or so to really help, and then other organizations come in and that's where we would come in, in the second month," Scheel said.
Her goal is to fill up two truckloads and she hopes people can find that generosity to make it happen. Volunteers are needed. "There's so many that give in the Fargo-Moorhead area, it's just fantastic, and if they can just give a little bit more, there's people in need," Scheel said.
Collection of the jackets, hygiene items, blankets, will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.
m. between Nov. 2-4 at Bethany on 42nd, 4255 30th Ave.
S., Fargo..
