Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center sends supplies to those in need

BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center located at the Bristol Motor Speedway is working hard to send supplies to different shelters and distribution sites across the region for flood victims.

“We don’t know state lines. We are going to get it where it needs to be” said Brian Delp, coordinator of distribution at the center. “A lot of us have families that live in Western North Carolina, so we’re not going to stop there, but we’re going to make sure that our East Tennessee people are taken care of.”

Different counties, shelters or churches working to help people impacted by Hurricane Helene can call the center with a list of the items they need. The requested items are then packed up and distributed to those sites. Currently, the center serves nine counties in Tennessee.

The list below shows what sites the center is bringing supplies to and where people in the community can go to pick up.

“We have a lot of misconceptions out there right now that we have people come over here and we’re turning them away,” said Delp. “What this distribution centers for is we’re trying to distribute to the other local distribution sites.”

Delp told News Channel 11 that people in the community can drop off donations but they cannot pick up supplies at BMS. Organizers worry people who are not directly impacted by Helene could take the supplies and return them to companies for money. Delp said it’s critical that the supplies go to the proper sites from the center so only people who truly need the supplies get them.

He also invited people to come out to the relief center to see firsthand that supplies are not being confiscated or sent out of the area.

“A lot of people put negative stuff on Facebook, and we’d like to give you a tour so you can actually see what’s going on here because we’re not being shady,” said Delp. “If you’re saying something negative, you’ve not been here yet, so go ahead and come see us.”

The Northeast Tennessee Disaster Distribution Center unloads over 100 trucks a day and distributes 50-100 big box trucks a day to different areas in need.

“The devastation in our area is absolutely unreal. If you’re not here and you haven’t driven out to see it, then you truly don’t know what’s going on,” said Matt Peters, a volunteer at the Center. “People’s lives have been uprooted, and this is just one of the small things that we can do as a community to build it back.”

The center has organized all supplies and materials into different areas and receives about 100 calls a day from different counties with a list of supplies they need. Volunteers from across the country came out to help pack food, water, and supplies.

“No matter where you from, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, we’re all Americans and we all care about each other,” said Kevin Kendall, a volunteer at the center. “When you see so many different people from all over the place, helping, they get to see what our community is going through. It’s a desperate need, and it just shows that we’re all Americans, we’re all brothers and sisters.”

The Northeast Tennessee Disaster Relief Center needs generators, kerosene heaters and anything that can keep people warm as temperatures begin to drop.

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