Meeting basic needs

Masonic Lodges organize hurricane relief

By Charles Romans

Carter County Times

“They are urging landowners who have large, flat areas to paint an ‘X’ on them, so helicopters have a place to land,” local man Danny Harbison said.

Harbison said that’s how bad the devastation is in North Carolina following the landfall of Hurricane Helene. The areas of North Carolina most devastated are much like our own region, with many residents living on remote hills and up hollows with limited access by road. The hurricane tore through North Carolina and surrounding states with winds reaching up to 106 mph and rainfall measured between 13.21 to 30.78 inches, leaving almost total devastation in its path.

Trees were broken or torn out of the earth, roadways were washed away, and homes were destroyed. Many of those whose homes survived were isolated without water or electricity; and those fortunate enough to own generators faced a different problem – how to get fuel to operate those generators. The same held true for those who owned chainsaws and had the potential ability to at least assist in clearing a path through the destruction. Harbison said that one man walked nearly 20 miles to find an open station to purchase gas, only to clear his end of a road that ultimately went nowhere. It had washed out beyond his property.

Harbison said that the people of North Carolina and Tennessee have been forced into survival mode without even the basic needs for that survival. Many have lost their homes, and what homes survived the devastation have become isolated, impromptu shelters for multiple families.

“They are struggling,” Harbison said. “And they are in dire need of everything from drinking water to baby formula.”

Diapers, toothbrushes, toilet paper, and feminine hygiene products were also high on the list of needs, he said.

With no way to properly store, much less a means to prepare food, Harbison said nonperishable food items were crucial to the survival of those devastated by the hurricane. Foods like peanut butter, canned beans, ravioli and other canned pastas, canned beef stew, and other foods that do not require cooking and can be eaten cold are at the top of the list. Folks might also consider sending can openers to go with those foods, because many have lost everything they own and escaped their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs. Personal hygiene products such as hand sanitizers and wet wipes are also needed to prevent further sickness due to contamination caused by the flooding. Gas cans and bleach are also high priorities, along with buckets with lids and trash bags.

Harbison is currently the Master of Smith Lodge in Flatwoods, Kentucky, and said that his Masonic Lodge and others in the district have joined together to collect these most crucial survival items for those affected by the hurricane’s devastation. He said that former Lodge Master Charlie Young was especially touched by the plight of children caught in the path of destruction.

“The thought of young children going hungry and babies being without formula was more than he (Young) could take,” Harbison said. “So, we were determined to do everything we could to fix that problem.”

Harbison said that coordination is key, and that after the relief items have been gathered it can be problematic to ensure that those items make it to the hands of those who need it. To this end, he said the Masons are working with the Christian Appalachian Project, a local group that has been certified to enter the affected areas.

“They have been doing wonderful work in the Appalachians for decades,” Harbison said. “And they have earned our trust.”

The Masonic Lodges involved so far (and the list continually grows, Harbison said) in the relief efforts are Smith Lodge, Greenup Lodge, Greenhill Lodge, Poage Lodge, Olive Hill Lodge, and Rush Lodge – but members of the entire Masonic District 27 are expected to support the effort. The gathering of items will end on October 19, at which point the aid will be delivered to the Christian Appalachian Project in Paintsville, Kentucky, then sent into the affected areas.

The general public is also encouraged to donate nonperishable items to the relief efforts. Items can be dropped off at Smith Lodge, 2204 Argillite Road in Flatwoods (across from the Marathon Station), from 8 – 12 in the morning, and 4 – 8 in the evening, Monday through Saturday. If another time or location for drop off is necessary, that can be arranged by calling 606-831-4025, or by contacting your local Lodge Master, Harbison said.

Also, on October 19 there will be a fundraiser for relief in the parking lot of Smith Lodge, where you can get a sandwich, a side, and a drink for a donation, he said. The food for relief will be provided by Raceland City Council Member Carlos Holbrook, who has also been invaluable in all other phases of the relief effort, Harbison said. He also thanked Zach Whitt, at Whitt’s Tire Town for the use of storage units, and Kevin White, at White’s Meat Market, for donating the meat for the fundraiser barbecue.

“The people struck by the hurricane have literally lost everything,” Harbison said. “And anything we can do or donate helps them to survive and get through this. It also lets them know they aren’t alone, and that people care about them.”Contact the writer at [email protected]

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