ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – An Escanaba church is asking community members to lend a hand to victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
Now through October 15, Wellspring Community Church is collecting donations for families and individuals impacted by the hurricane. Items neeed include non-perishable foods, clothing, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, feminine products, pet food, can openers, blankets, and art supplies for kids.
“In a lot of places, you’re talking ten feet of water through homes and businesses,” said Paul Culbertson, Pastor of Wellspring Community Church. “[They need] N95 masks and things that they need to keep themselves safe during the cleanup process. On top of that, a lot of these people didn’t have flood insurance. There is a huge need, even for the most everday items that we take for granted.”
Culbertson has a personal connection to the area, having started a church in Western North Carolina years ago. When he saw the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, he knew he had to get involved.
“I literally felt like God was saying, ‘You can do something about this; you can help,'” Culbertson said. “I kind of got this vision of reaching out to our whole community—not just our church—saying, ‘We’re going to go from the Upper Peninsula down to Western North Carolina. Would you help me?’ I’m so excited that this community has jumped on board to go help our neighbors. So many beautiful people in our community have reached out, and we’re very grateful.”
Culbertson will be delivering the donations himself on October 16. He wants to assure donors that their generosity will benefit those in need.
“There’s a reality of, ‘How can we help in a way that we know it’s actually going to go to people on the ground?'” the pastor said. “Being able to have roots in that area and have connections to people and churches and businesses is going to help us set up base and get the resources out to people who need them.”
Donations can be dropped off at Wellspring Community Church, located at 301 North Lincoln Road in the Delta Plaza Mall. Culbertson says someone is at the church most of the time, but donors can call (906) 241-2334 ahead of time to ensure someone will be there to receive the items.
Monetary donations can be made online at wellspring906.com/give by selecting the “Hurricane Relief North Carolina” fund. Culbertson says 100% of the money in the Hurricane Relief fund will go toward filling the donation truck and getting it to North Carolina.
