‘Help equals hope’: Lee County schools unite for hurricane relief drive

LEE COUNTY, Ala ( WRBL ) — Lee County School District has united all 15 schools to become drop off sites for supplies to be loaded on vehicles to be sent to North Carolina.

The initiative was sparked by Amy Long, Smiths Station High School Assistant Principal who is familiar with the natural disasters. Long shared with WRBL that her hometown was hit by a tornado in 2011.

Long says after seeing the videos of the devastation she remembered how much it meant to the people in her town when she assisted in the relief efforts,

Long reached out to Dr. Mike Howard, the superintendent of Lee County School system t with the idea to unite the district to provide relief. The school district partnered with Western North Carolina Regional Stock Exchange to be a distribution house for the donations.

“Help equals hope”

Amy Long, Assistant Principal at Smiths Station High School

“I want them to know that they’re not going to be forgotten and that we want to help in any way that we can,” Long says. “Having them in your thoughts and prayers; everybody is doing that, but also you know sometimes there’s a time to take action and physically.”

Zachariah Shleibak is a Junior at Smith Station High School and is a member of the school Beta Club. He  says the morality and good of the drive is what drove him to want to participate.

“ The thought is always what counts, even if you’re bringing in, you know, just a few cans  and even if you’re just bringing in a few things that won’t even get you an hour  of service,” says  Shleibak.

It’s not really. It’s not me that matters. It’s them that matters.

Zachariah Shleibak, Smiths Station High School Junior

If you would like to participate in the relief efforts, you can drop off donations at any of the schools in the Lee County School District by Oct. 18th.

List of supplies needed:

• Water
• Non Perishable Food
• Diapers/ Wipes
• Personal Hygiene Items
• Trashbags
• Detergent
• Bleach and Clorox
• Duct Tape
• Blankets
• Towels
• Work Gloves
• Basic Tools
• 1-2 Gallon Pump Sprays
• Generators
• Propane Stoves/Heaters
• Battery Powered Flashlights, lanterns, and radios
• Dehumidifiers
• White Vinergar
• Baking Soda
• Mops
• Buckets
• Blankets and Sleeping Bags
• Sweatshirts, Hooodies, and Jackets
• STARLINK Panels
• Fire Extinguishers
• Sawyer Squeeze Walter Filtration System Regular Size

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