When Army Sgt. Michael Sharpes saw on social media what a devastating blow Hurricane Helene had dealt North Carolina, he immediately felt the urge to help.
After landing in Florida on Sept. 24, Helene charged a 500-mile destructive path through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, ruining communities and killing more than 200 people.
The tragedy is personal to Sharpes, as his wife is from a small North Carolina town that was in the path of destruction. None of her relatives or friends were hurt, nor were their properties damaged by the hurricane, but they told Sharpes that other people would need help.
Sharpes and his wife looked for local relief drives in the town of Clifton Park, New York, where they live. When they couldn’t find any, he decided to organize his own.
“I am from Florida, and I was there for Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma,” Sharpes told The Epoch Times on Oct. 12.
“I know what it is like being through hurricanes, and I know the relief side of it. It is really something easy that I can do.”
Through his connections, Sharpes got in touch with a few organizations doing relief work on the ground, and he set up several local drives with the help of town officials.
A veteran friend of his, Santos Lopez, helped organize drives in Saugerties and then connected Sharpes with New Century, an event space in Deerpark as an additional drop-off location.
James White, event co-organizer at New Century, told The Epoch Times on Oct. 12 that during the past week, residents dropped off a wide range of donations, including nonperishable food such as cereal, canned vegetables, cleaning supplies, baby diapers, sleeping bags, and blankets.
“I think it speaks to how, really, Americans care about each other,” White said. “There is a lot of division that is broadcast in the media. However, the American spirit is truly one of unity.
“And most of the people involved with this drive are military or veterans who have the heart for service. It really is an honor to work with them.”
Sharpes, a commander at the Albany Army Medical Recruiting Station in New York state’s capital, took a four-day leave over the Columbus Day weekend to collect and load donations into a U-Haul truck and drive them to a church in Candler, North Carolina.
“It was heartwarming to see everybody come out and assist North Carolina,” Sharpes said. “You saw people from Florida, friends from Utah, and friends from California.
“People look out for their community, for their neighbors, and for other citizens.”
