South Carolina relief truck only half full | PHOTOS

ALBANY — Albany officials and concerned volunteers continue to urge the Albany community to help fill a 53-foot trailer headed to South Carolina with much-needed supplies for those impacted by recent flooding in the wake of Hurricane Joaquin, and have agreed to continue collecting items through Saturday.

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For the past week volunteers have been working diligently to help fill up the trailer which was donated by Interstate National Lease for the purpose of transporting donated supplies, like water, bleach, toothpaste, and other non-perishables to flood victims.

Collections began last weekend at the James H Gray Civic Center before moving to the former Coca-Cola bottling plant on Pine Avenue, which is owned by Sherwood Baptist Church, earlier this week.

Although the original deadline for filling the truck before sending it to South Carolina was Thursday, Albany City Manager Sharon Subadan, who was on site at the bottling plant Thursday afternoon, said collections will continue through Saturday to ensure the truck is filled before heading to its destination.

“It’s about halfway there, so folks still have the opportunity to help fill it up,” said Subadan, who understand what the flood victims are going through. “I was personally the victim of a natural disaster having lost a house during Hurricane Andrew, so I know what it’s like. I’m challenging everyone in the community to come out and donate something. Every little bit helps.”

Subadan said the most needed items at this point are diapers and other baby supplies, as well as cleaning supplies such as bleach and disinfectant wipes. A good deal of water has already been collected but bottled water is always welcome, she said.

“We absolutely need your donations and it doesn’t take much,” said Subadan. “When you go to the store to buy bags of candy for Halloween, grab a jug of bleach, or a canister of wipes, anything, and swing by and drop it off. You don’t even need to get our of your car.”

Indeed anyone wanting to drop off a donation has to simply pull through the warehouse where volunteers from across the city are waiting to unload them and place them on a pallet to go in the truck.

Albany Commissioner B.J. Fletcher, who has been an outspoken supporter of the initiative, also issued a challenge to the community Thursday saying that because this community not only experienced the struggles of dealing with catastrophic flooding, but also the blessings of concerned citizens from other areas lending support, it really needed to step up.

“People need to remember where they were in 1994 and 1998 and think about what was done for them,” said Fletcher. “Now is the time for everybody to give back. That’s really what life’s about. We need to get this truck filled.”

Although Fletcher said much still needs to be done, she did offer praise to those who have already made donations, especially area businesses like Home Depot, Short and Paulk, Sams, and others that have dropped off pallets of supplies.

“A lot of places have given, some of the big ones and the mom and pops,” Fletcher said. “Honestly when we’ve asked we haven’t been turned down by anybody.”

In order to help encourage folks to donate, Fletcher added that she would have her brother bring his food truck to the collection site on Pine from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and that anyone who donates an item will get a half price funnel cake.

“That should sweeten the deal,” she said.

Collections will continue at the bottling plant location through Friday and again until noon on Saturday. Then the trailer will be moved to the front entrance of the Albany Mall where residents can continue to drop off donations until 6 p.m.

Initiative organizers are hoping that by the end of the day Saturday the trailer will be full and can be sent to South Carolina where the supplies will be distributed by the South Carolina Emergency Management Agency.

Locally-owned Interstate National Lease, which is a division of the Fred Taylor Company, not only donated the use of the trailer but it has also donated use of the truck and the fuel and driver needed to get it to its destination.

Although Albany Assistant Fire Chief Eugene Robinson, who was tasked by the city to organize the collections, said there were plenty of volunteers helping thus far, more are always needed. Anyone interested in finding out what they can do to help can contact Robinson at (229) 733-7314.