Bangor church collects donations for North Carolina hurricane victims

A Bangor church is gathering donations to bring to victims of Hurricane Helene that decimated areas of North Carolina last week.

The Mansion Church issued a call on social media for donations for hurricane victims in North Carolina on Monday. The long list of requested items ranges from water and nonperishable food to diapers, baby wipes and formula.

Donations can be brought to the Mansion Church at 96 Center St. in Bangor until 9 p.m. on Wednesday. On Thursday, Terry Dinkins, the Mansion Church’s pastor, will drive a 26-foot truck full of donations 1,000 miles to North Carolina.

A complete list of donation requests is available on the Mansion Church’s Facebook page. Monetary donations can also be made, which will be used to purchase items that haven’t been donated, Dinkins said.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 26 and continued north, cutting power, tearing apart homes and washing away roads. By Sept. 30, the death toll from the storm had climbed to at least 220 across six states, though half of the victims came from North Carolina, the Associated Press reported.

Dinkins is gathering supplies for North Carolina victims as another storm, Hurricane Milton — a Category 5 storm as of 5 p.m. Tuesday — barrels toward Florida. It is expected to hit Tampa on Wednesday.

Dinkins plans to leave with the truck at 7 a.m. on Thursday and arrive in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday morning.

The donations from Bangor area residents will be given to two churches in Raleigh to distribute to families, Dinkins said.

At least 20 people brought items, including a new generator and a “trailer full of blankets,” to the church on Wednesday, Dinkins said.

“The outpouring of support from the community already has been amazing,” Dinkins said. “It’s amazing how willing people are to give. I think we’re going to fill the truck.”

Though he has never done something like this previously, Dinkins said he felt compelled to bring needed supplies to people who lost everything in Hurricane Helene.

“It’s easy to push a couple buttons and make a donation, but I felt a tug on my heart to do more,” Dinkins said. “I think it’s something we need to do. It breaks my heart to see what’s going on down there and I can’t imagine what they’re going through.”