BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Northeast Wisconsin residents who want to help the victims of Hurricane Helene have plenty of options, as business owners and law enforcement agencies are setting up collection drives.
The images out of Florida and western North Carolina are devastating — almost unfathomable for those in Northeast Wisconsin.
“There’s nothing left. People just walking through mud and then their homes just all swept down a river. It’s heart wrenching,” said Kevin Burkel.
He’s the owner of Burkel’s One Block Overand is one business owner who wants to help. He’s working to get semi trailers parked on his property to start collecting necessities.
According to Burkel, “I’m just going to put a full force effort into doing what I can do on my end and ship down what we can ship. And that’s the best we can do.”
It’s the job of law enforcement to protect and serve. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, local law enforcement that participate in the Police Lights of Christmas program will serve their brothers and sisters in blue and their hard-hit communities.
“I can’t imagine. The deputies and officers that are down there, they lost some of their own in North Carolina already. There are still hundreds of people missing and yet, how many of them are putting the uniform on every day — whether it’s fire, rescue or law enforcement — still having to go out there do their job,” said Lt. Trevor Bilgo with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement agencies are asking for donations. They’re looking for things like bottled water, paper towels and toilet paper, diapers and baby wipes, trash bags, nonperishable snacks, new blankets and towels, toiletries and generators.
Their donations will be sent to the Asheville, NC Police Department.
Bilgo said, “A point of contact here knew of a point of contact there, and that’s how we ended establishing that direct contact, so we know that it’s ending up right where it needs to go.”
A Karl’s Transport semi will be parked in De Pere at the Saint Mark’s Ministries lot on Lawrence Drive, from 7 a.m. until noon. Then in Appleton at the Festival Foods on Van Roy Road from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m..
