Utah groups ask for donations to help Hurricane Helene

AMERICAN FORK — Groups in Utah are now starting to gather donations to send to Hurricane Helene victims. They’re counting on generous Utahns to step up and help. One organization in American Fork needs those donations quickly.

Lifting Hands International has started assembling items that hurricane victims need in North Carolina. They’re hoping to fill 18 pallets in the next two days; you name it, they need it.

Utah Task Force One deployed to Georgia to help with Hurricane Helene recovery

Marvis Firmage, the Lifting Hands International Humanitarian Aid Warehouse Manager, said they got a call Monday morning from another humanitarian organization in North Carolina saying they’re in dire need of relief supplies, such as blankets, baby wipes, diapers, formula, and hygiene kits.

“They need it today; they need it tomorrow, so the sooner we can get it to them, the better,” Firmage said.

That’s why Lifting Hands is calling for help to get emergency donations for these items as soon as possible. What they’ve gathered so far is small, but they said every donation counts and need them to keep coming.

“It just takes one person to donate one blanket, and that one blanket is going to help that one person who desperately needs a blanket to keep warm,” Firmage said.

Utah American Red Cross volunteer describes devastation, need in areas hit by Hurricane Helene

She said they normally don’t respond to domestic disasters, but seeing what people are dealing with in the hurricane’s path, they felt compelled to help. The group is counting on other Utahns to feel the same way and need items sent their way.

The hope is to ship out all the relief items by Friday but to do that; they need the donations by Wednesday. If you want to donate, you can visit the Lifting Hands International Facebook page, where the group made a list of needed items and instructions on when and where you can drop them off.