Community collects $15,000 worth of supplies for hurricane victims

Residents of Stephens County proved, yet again, how giving this community is by purchasing $15,000 worth of relief supplies to be sent to hurricane victims.

On Friday morning, the collected supplies were loaded on a Hope4Carolinas’ truck and delivered to the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief distribution center in Whiteville, North Carolina.

Those supplies consisted of buckets of cleaning supplies, bleach, tools and bottled water; and will be distributed to flood ravaged areas in Columbus County near the coast.

Steve Paysen, founder of the P230 Foundation, organized the efforts to aid in the destruction caused by Hurricane Florence on the Carolina Coast.

The non-profit group had partnered with the Quality Foods in Toccoa to collect donations.

Paysen tells WNEG News that the Toccoa-Stephens County community understands the significance of giving.

He says that when his group took up a similar donation for Houston hurricane victims last year, the response was tremendous and this time the outpouring was no different.

Paysen said when his group took up a similar donation for Houston hurricane victims last year the response was tremendous and he’s hoping for a similar outpouring this time.

“I brag on our community all of the time. I think we’re one of the most compassionate communities around because our people understand what it is to struggle,” Paysen said. “So helping others who are struggling is not difficult for us. We know it. We live it every day so people have no problem stepping up and helping other people through their struggles.”

In addition to cleaning and building supplies still headed to North Carolina, Paysen said volunteers from Georgia Baptist are also up there helping to feed those devastated by the storm.

“There are a lot of organizations doing the feeding,” he said. “There’s a crew from Stephens County headed down to the Myrtle Beach area from Georgia Baptist. There’s a group from the North American Mission Board there that’s feeding thousands a day.”

Now if anyone is also interested in going to North Carolina as a volunteer to help with the cleanup and rebuilding, Paysen said they can call him for information.

“The can contact me directly and I can put them in touch with pastors,” Paysen said. “I have a network of about 12 pastors in that area that I work with a lot. All of them have families that are affected. If there’s a church that wants to send a mission team, I can put them in touch with a good pastor that has people that need help right now.”

For questions or to make a donation visit p230.org or call Paysen at 706-716-0316.