UPDATE: Local, regional groups offer ways to help storm victims

Published 4:10 pm Thursday, January 26, 2017

MOULTRIE, Ga. — A variety of local and regional organizations have announced plans to help victims of last weekend’s storms across South Georgia.

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Donations are also being accepted at the Colquitt County Board of Education (at the old high school), the Colquitt County Baptist Association, Coco’s Boutique, and Lauri Jo’s in Norman Park, according to messages left at The Observer’s Facebook page.

The Moultrie Police Department, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, Moultrie Fire Department, Colquitt County EMS, Eastman Fire Department and Shiloh Baptist Church in Albany have joined forces to collect and distribute needed items in the Albany area. Drop-offs can be made at any of those agencies. They are particularly looking for toiletries, diapers, baby items, bottled water, feminine products, towels, wash cloths, clothes, washing detergent, bleach and hair care products.

The 50 Yard Line Sports Bar is collecting donations for storm victims in Albany and Adel. On the first day, four truck loads were delivered and 15 pans of hot food for meals to serve at the shelter. Donations will be accepted all week.

The Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce is a drop-off location for relief supplies for Worth County. Chamber representatives will be making their first trip to Sylvester on Friday. Feel free to drop off donations at the chamber, 116 First Ave. S.E., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Leadership Colquitt County used the chamber as its drop-off point when it collected donations for Albany storm victims following the Jan. 2 storm. They collected for two weeks, and their efforts ended shortly before last weekend’s storm.

Fuller’s Fried Chicken on North Main Street is taking monetary donations until Friday for Adel storm victims, according to a message sent to The Observer’s Facebook page.

The Cook, Berrien and Lowndes County Advertiser, 312 N. Hutchinson Ave. in Adel, is a drop-off point for donations to help those in that area. They’re looking for a variety of items: Clothes for all ages, canned or boxed food items, toiletries and first aid items, toys, baby items, blankets, jackets, caps, inflatable mattresses, sleeping bags, water, batteries and flashlights, books, games and puzzles, glasses.

Moultrie’s Rapha Fellowship took a load of donations there on Tuesday.

Online donations can be made for Adel tornado relief at https://textgovpayments.com/cooktornado/. You can also get updates on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Adel-Tornado-Relief-Fund-242125922898588/?fref=nf.

A list of volunteer coordinators in the Adel area is being circulated online:

• Land clearing / debris removal: Larry Watford, 229-507-0223.

• Supply donations: Brad McVea, Lenox Church of God, 229-646-3014.

• Monetary Donations: Sharon Hancock Royals, 229-834-3257. A relief fund is being set up at Cook Community Bank.

• Cooked food for volunteers and shelters: Tim Mertens, 229-686-0643.

• Equipment repairs and relocation: Bay, 229-507-1647.

• Volunteer coordinator: Cindy Folds Appleford, 229-560-5803.

• Behavioral Health: 229-896-4559; Amanda Hall or Courtney Holley, 912-230-6084, for children.

• School contact: Martha Darden, 229-546-5297.

•Nashville Donations, Brian Murray, 229-507-2339.

• Cook County DFACS, 229-896-3672.

Donations of clothing, shoes or materials should be taken to 200 W. Fourth St. in Adel. Please do not deliver clothing to shelters, only food-related items and toiletries.

In Albany, please take donations to 629 W. Broad Ave. or to the storage units on Philema Road at Riverpoint, Building 4116. Shelters do not have people to handle donation drop-offs. Clothes are not the most important things right now. Organizations need non-perishable food, toiletries, female hygiene products, baby food, diapers, totes, water, etc.

Monetary contributions can be made online or in-person at Sherwood Baptist Church, 2201 Whispering Pines Road, Albany; at First United Methodist Church, 307 Flint Ave., Albany; or via the disaster relief fund: unitedwayswga.org/help.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce emailed its members Jan. 19 alerting them to continuing needs in Albany due to the Jan. 2 storm there. It encouraged them to coordinate delivery of resources and donated items by calling (229) 483-6214 and get more information at the City of Albany’s Disaster Relief Facebook page, which are still active after the latest round of destruction.