COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — In Council Bluffs volunteers from American Dream Trucking Company, Ascending Hope, Batten Trailer Leasing and Rosburg Livestock are gathering donations to send to Asheville, NC.
- Jim Welter with American Dream Trucking Company spoke to dispatch in Asheville last week who told him that they are in critical need of charcoal, water and other necessities.
- "I don't know it just touched me, you know, Asheville specifically. There's 100,000 people roughly and no water, no power. Like, what can I do? You know?"
- Video shows people donating supplies and sharing why they feel compelled to help.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Helping neighbors hundreds of miles away. In Council bluffs, volunteers are doing what they can to gather donations for survivors of Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina
In the aftermath of destruction, local truck driver Jim Welter is rallying his troops to help those in need from Hurricane Helene.
"I don't know it just touched me, you know, Asheville specifically, you know, there's 100,000 people roughly and no water, no power. Like, what can I do? You know," said Welter.
All day Sunday, Welter and other volunteers are collecting donations ranging from clothing and shoes to food and water.
"I spoke with dispatch last week down there and what they're really needing is charcoal water and like baby formula. Right. And so we're just out here just trying to do our part," said Welter.
"They lost their homes, they lost everything that they own and the reality is, is down there in Asheville, they don't have any running water, no electricity and they're just devastated. And I think that, you know, as a community, as Americans, we just need to come together and help people," said Brenda Finnegan, a volunteer.
"I bought what I could, I got on a case of water, a box of laundry detergent pods, some freshen up wipes, socks, a bag of Halloween candy and some Nutrigrain breakfast bars," said Amanda W.
"I'm from the southeast and I see how devastated they are and I've got a little girl and all I can think is if it was us, I would want people to help," said Amanda.
The goal is to fill this whole truck. And then on Thursday, Jim will drive the supplies down personally to Asheville, North Carolina.
