DALTON, Ga. — Logan Huggins spent Saturday morning at Dalton Place Senior Living loading bottled water on a truck for victims affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

Huggins, a student at Dalton State College, said he likes helping other people. “It makes me feel pretty good. I wish I could do more than just load water.”

Amber Morrison, concierge at Dalton Place, spearheaded a local collection effort on Saturday to help those affected by the hurricane that severely damaged the Caribbean island of 3.5 million people.

“A lot of people wanted to help but didn’t know how,” she said. “I had access to that information so I spread it around and the response I got was really overwhelming.”

Morrison is a member of a Facebook group and saw information about Buen Provecho restaurant in Marietta collecting items. She decided to collect items in Dalton and drive them to the Marietta restaurant. In two days, Morrison said, diapers, water, baby food and formula, clothes, linen and monetary donations poured in.

Shaw Industries donated a box truck to transport the items to Marietta. “I originally thought I was going to load my car and drive it there,” Morrison said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without everyone’s help.”

Later Saturday morning Morrison and other volunteers dropped the items off in Marietta. She said the items will be loaded on a cargo plane that will take them to Puerto Rico.

While purchasing additional items at Wal-Mart Friday night, Morrison said the manager gave her a huge discount. “We were able to get lots of air mattresses, batteries, more baby food and formula,” she said. And a local pediatric office donated baby formula. “Everybody had their specialty in what was needed for the victims, I think people were just happy to help,” Morrison said.

Ellen Hair, a resident at Dalton Place and Morrison’s grandmother, said she’s really proud her.

“She’s always been such an organized and giving person,” Hair said.

Hair and other residents collected items and made toiletry bags filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste and other necessities. “The collection room was packed with donations,” Hair said. “I was amazed that a room here could fit all that stuff.”

Morrison said none of it would’ve been possible without everyone stepping in. “I’m really speechless about how much we were able to gather in two days. It was a group effort for sure,” she said.

Morrison also works at Escape Dalton and said employees there made a large monetary donation. “I feel really blessed to work at both places and have people surround me who care about others,” she said.

Hair said she’s still in awe at everyone’s generosity for strangers, but Morrison said she’s not.

“I think it has a lot to do with our leaders not doing what they’re suppose to,” she said. “Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands and take care of each other.”