Midstaters come together to provide relief in North Carolina

(WHTM) – North Carolina is more than seven hours away, but people in the Midstate are coming together to send supplies and equipment to communities devastated by the remnants of hurricane Helene.

“I mean, really just speechless,” said Sean Bower, owner of Wallz In Remodeling llc.

“It looked like a tornado went through massive trees laying on houses, cars,” said Matt Flinchbaugh, owner of Flinchy’s Restaurant, Bar and Deck.

Bower and Flinchbaugh are two strangers who came together to help people in North Carolina.

Bower and Flinchbaugh, along with other community members, “took off 5 a.m. Sunday morning. We drove straight through to Morgantown, North Carolina,” said Flinchbaugh.

With the communities help, they filled trucks with water, dry food, equipment, and more.

“We had about 50,000 pounds in four trucks,” said Flinchbaugh.

While dropping supplies off in North Carolina, Bower says they were taking goods to another location and spoke with two different people.

“Both people had the main priority of getting body bags and they couldn’t get them,” said Bower.

After returning to the Midstate, Bower and Flinchbaugh knew they needed to do more.

Bower’s is currently raising money to buy and donate one or multiple UTV/ATV’s to a local fire department in North Carolina. Bower’s is working with All Trails Powersports to purchase the equipment.

“There’s dozens of counties down there that are inaccessible,” said Flinchbaugh.

So, this equipment will help get supplies to people in the mountains.

Flinchbaugh is continuing to collect donations.

Flinchbaugh says as for donations they are asking for winter clothes as temperatures start to drop, adult wipes or anything they can use to clean themselves, water, chainsaws, chainsaw oil, chain oil, tools, and generators.

Flinchbaugh says people in North Carolina said they don’t need any more diapers.

If you would like to donate supplies you can drop it off at the warehouses at 7 Lewisberry Road, New Cumberland near the airport.

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If you would like to donate monetary donations to help buy one or multiple UTV/ATV’s, you can contact Sean Bowers at smbower7295@gmail.com

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