Oct 15, 2018
In the wake of Hurricane Michael, the first Category 4 hurricane on record to make landfall in the Florida panhandle, Southwire’s Project GIFT is hosting a disaster relief collection Wednesday, Oct. 17 and Thursday, Oct. 18.
Volunteers will collect supplies from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Walmart Supercenter parking lot located on 1735 South Highway 27 in Carrollton, Ga. According to GEMA representatives in the hardest hit counties in South Georgia, non-perishable food is in high demand.“The citizens of Miller County and Colquitt that I have worked with this past week have been the humblest people,” said Dave Wade, member of Haralson County Fire Department, who is serving as Commander for the Georgia Rescue Task Force 6 and Incident Commander for the Hurricane Response in Miller County. “They are coming together to do a lot with a little, and anything we can do to help these folks will make a difference.”Along with the need for food, Wade encouraged collecting toiletries and cleaning supplies – particularly large contractor trash bags and paper products.“This area is mostly farmland, and although linemen are working to get power restored as quickly as possible, parts of the county may be down for quite some time,” said Wade.The storm hit the Florida panhandle on Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 and quickly traveled through South Georgia, remaining a Category 3 through Albany, Ga.“We have connected with several organizations in South Georgia to pinpoint the areas most in need,” said Kristian Whittington, manager of employee communication and engagement and Project GIFT coordinator. “These have a direct connection with many of our employees, and we are looking to assist where we can.”Other organizations, including the Rapha Clinic of West Georgia, have joined Southwire in hosting disaster relief collections in West Georgia. Rapha Clinic will collect on Oct. 19 and 20 and again on Oct. 22 and 23 at the Ingles parking lot in Temple, Ga. Rapha Clinic’s efforts will support the town of Carrabelle, Florida.For more information, including a more detailed list of needed items, stay tuned to Southwire Community on Facebook. For more community updates, please stay tuned to southwire.com/newsroom.©2018 Southwire Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved