Volunteers across region offer help after Hurricane Helene

Friday, October 4, 2024
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Volunteers across the region are coming together to help victims of Hurricane Helene, doing everything from collecting supplies to helping pets impacted by the devastating storm.

Giannone Companies Towing in Collegeville has transformed its lot into a drop-off site. The team is collecting emergency supplies to bring down to North Carolina.

"Anytime we can give back to the community, we're going to do that," said Carmino Giannone, who's organizing the effort with his family.

His brother is also collecting goods at Sal's Barbershop in Plymouth Meeting.

At midnight, some of Giannone's employees are volunteering their time to drive the goods to North Carolina.



"They're hooked up with companies down there that are actually flying things into Asheville and other areas that are just pretty much just wiped off the map at this point," said Giannone.

The volunteer fire company in Surf City, New Jersey understands that kind of devastation.

"What you see here is what we have collected since we began at about 11:30 a.m.," said Peter Hartney, the president of Surf City Volunteer Fire and EMS. "Twelve years ago at the end of this month, we experienced Sandy here on the island and in the weeks immediately following, we had a lot of people come and drop off relief supplies for us."

That's why they're collecting non-perishable items all weekend long that will be flown to help Hurricane victims.

The help is extending from the shore to the Main Line, where the PSPCA has rescued nine dogs from a shelter in Tennessee impacted by the storm.



The dogs will be quarantined and assessed for the next two weeks, and then be ready to find their forever homes.

"When those doors opened up and we saw those tails wagging and those barks, our medical team and our support team, they were so happy," said Lisa Maggio, the site director at the PSPCA in Phoenixville.
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