School Board member will place donation trailer in Walmart parking lot
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Oct. 17 — Over the next three days, Michael Overfelt hopes to fill a trailer full of supplies for those who have lost everything. Many small communities in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia must completely start over after the devastation left by Hurricane Helene. An article sent to him by a friend detailing the deaths of 15 people who were killed during the storm — including children — prompted the local school board member to act.
“It really got to me,” Overfelt said during an interview on Wednesday evening, getting noticeably choked up. “So I decided to do something.”
A sign donated by Showalter Signs stating “Donations for Disaster” will be placed on the trailer loaned out by Bob Drumheller. Overfelt plans to sit in the southwest corner of the Walmart parking lot with the trailer in case donors need a list of items that are being collected. (See list below.)
“If I get even half of the trailer full, it will help some of the families down there,” Overfelt said. “Imagine coming home tonight and losing everything you have…it’s all gone, except what you are wearing.”
Hurricane Helene has reportedly taken at least 225 lives, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland since 1950. Many mountain towns have been wiped away and many people are still missing. The cost in the storm’s wake could top $30 billion.
Overfelt, the District 2 representative on the Page County School Board and chairman of the local Republican Committee, plans to take whatever donations he can gather on Thursday, Friday and Saturday down to Damascus, Va. on Sunday. He said he may be redirected by the non-profit Samaritans Purse to drop off the supplies in Franklin County or other spots. Samaritans Purse — headquartered in Boone, N.C. — has had 25,000 volunteers on the ground in these mountain communities helping with the recovery and distribution of supplies.
One local church has donated $4,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, which was spending up to $60,000 a day in fuel for helicopters during the rescue and recovery efforts. Overfelt said that any monetary donations should be sent directly to the non-profit organization (see link below).
If his efforts are successful, Overfelt said he may repeat the process.
“If I’m lucky, I’ll have to borrow another truck,” he said, “but it’s going to be a long time before these people recover…and winter is upon us. I have heard of reports that folks died the other evening from hyperthermia due to the lack of coats and blankets, some of which were children. Winter is setting in and snow and freezing weather is on the horizon for these folks.”
Overfelt applauds the many efforts around the community to help those effected by recent storms in the East, from a donation of a fire truck to previous collection drives and monetary donations. Now, he wants to do his part.
“I’m not trying to be a hero…I’m not looking for any recognition…I’m just trying to do the right thing,” Overfelt said. “It’s amazing how we can come together as a nation when we have a crisis…I guess that’s what drives me.”
For more information about the disaster relief effort, call Overfelt at 714-323-2198.
To donate money to Samaritans Purse, visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/
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ITEMS NEEDED FOR HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF — Clothing, diapers, baby formula, bottled water, canned food, blankets, propane heaters, towels, sheets, generators, hydration packs, paper plates, plastic utensils, manual can opener, gas camping stoves, Ziplock bags, rubber gloves, brooms, mops, shovels, wheelbarrows, rakes, toilet paper, baby bottles, bleach, spray cleaners, trash bags, hand sanitizer, masks, wipes, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, flashlights, batteries, blankets, book bags, sleeping bags, coats, sweaters, socks, boots, and just anything else folks could use.
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