BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
PHOTO CREDIT TO SCOTT CARPENTER/DAUPHIN ISLAND
As residents along the Alabama Gulf Coast are cleaning up debris after Hurricane Sally, many people are wanting to help, but not sure what to do.
The Elmore/Autauga News and volunteers will be taking supplies down for residents of Dauphin Island. We will be at the newspaper office from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday if you would like to drop off donations. Our office is located in Millbrook in the AirNow Parking lot, across from the Millbrook Presbyterian Church on Main Street.
The American Legion Post 133 in Millbrook is also taking in donations for their own effort to help, and donations for them can be dropped off at the Post.
Our two groups, working separately, will be taking supplies down on Sunday. The American Legion is delivering to the Mobile area and the EAN will deliver for residents on Dauphin Island.
What can you donate?
Below is just a list of suggestions. But imagine if you had no electricity, you were basically having to camp out for an extended time, what would you need? What we WILL NOT accept is clothing or shoes. Please understand that storage is limited. Generic gift cards and/or monetary donations are excellent to hand out to those in need to get what they need specifically.
Suggested donation items:
Toilet paper and paper towels; empty Styrofoam coolers, bottled water/sports drinks; non-perishable food and snacks; empty gasoline containers; wet wipes; large sturdy garbage backs; work gloves; bug spray; first-aid kits; dog food and cat food; cleaning supplies such as rakes, mops, brooms, cleaning fluids; tarps; Double AA batteries and D Batteries; charcoal (many people can only cook on grills at the moment); plastic cups, plates, etc.; Battery packs to recharge cell phones; generic gift cards (like Visa, etc.) that can be used at any store.
A lot of stores in these areas were also damaged, including Walmart, so getting supplies is difficult. They are having to use whatever is available.
Cash Donations will go toward buying whatever items we are lacking, including ice. We will load up coolers for bags of ice on the way out of town Sunday morning. Please do not donate ice on Saturday. We will buy that before we leave town.
Have you heard of the Starfish Theory? If you are walking along the beach and there are thousands of starfish stranded, you may not be able to help them all. But for every one that you pick up and place back in the ocean, it means the world.
We hope to see you Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the news office in the AirNow Parking lot. Thank you in advance for anything you can do!
If anyone needs more information, please contact Sarah Stephens at editorsarah@yahoo.com.
