In a heartening display of community support, Concord, North Carolina has once again rallied for its neighbors affected by Hurricane Helene—this time with a significant donation aimed at aiding Western North Carolina families in their recovery efforts. City officials reported that over two tons of essential supplies were sent to Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry in Arden, a testament to the month-long donation drive put together by the diligent City employees.
Previously, in the calamitous wake of Hurricane Helene, generous response teams comprising over 65 members from the City of Concord Aviation, Electric Systems, Fire, and Police departments deployed to the stricken areas including Forest City, Black Mountain, Asheville, and counts of Ashe and Rutherford to render much-needed assistance, meanwhile, the City's airport crew was instrumental, quite efficiently establishing Concord-Padgett Regional Airport as the operational hub for Operation Air Drop which handled the moving of over a million pounds of supplies by way of air and truck deliveries necessary for the urgent relief process.
Though not everyone could be on the ground or at the airport to participate, the spirit of community aid ran high amongst Team Concord members, culminating in an internal donation drive to satiate the continuous and yet unfulfilled needs of hurricane-hit communities. City employees reached into their own reserves to donate essential materials like diapers, formula, and toiletries; together with the pet food needed for furry companions, winter gear to combat the chill, and non-perishables to sustain families, stacking up to a collective contribution of 4,624 pounds of supplies. Ensuring this effort was seamless, the Buildings & Grounds and Warehouse divisions of the City took charge of amassing and storing the items, and the Fire Department was tasked with the delivery to the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry in the spirit of neighborly support.
