CLEVELAND — After Hurricane Helene tore through parts of the South last week, some Ohioans are answering the call for help.
Hurricane Helene is now the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Katrina. Since the storm, more than 200 people have died, with that number continuing to climb.
"It’s hard for me to watch and not do something, so I was like, 'I don’t care what we do, let’s do something,'" said Cleveland native Angela Alicea.
Alicea says that, like the rest of the country, she and her family have been watching the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
"I mean, they don’t have water, they don’t have electricity, so it’s just sad," she said, through tears.
Emotional and full of passion, Alicea turned to her family with a quick request.
"Our goal was to get 200 cases of water in our SUVs and drive it down," said Alicea, who aimed to take the water to Tennessee.
Alicea was given a list of needed supplies from a Tennessee church.
In partnership with Alicea, Tina Fuller, owner of The Refindary Vintage Market in Jefferson, loaned her truck and helped spread the word about the donations being collected.
"It just kept playing over in my head, and I'm like, 'I’ve got to do something,' so this is my little bit that I can do," said Fuller.
Fuller added that she hopes the donations will have a positive impact on the people in Tennessee.
"I’m just hoping that we can bring a little blessing to somebody who maybe needs it, or a smile when they open something up and say, 'My goodness, they thought about this to give it to me,'" Fuller said. "That’s all I care about, is it gets to them and it makes a difference for them."
If you would like to donate items, you can go to 3548 W. 65th St., Cleveland, 44102, or text (216) 299-5031 to arrange a dropoff.
The van from The Refindary Vintage Market will leave Saturday morning.