Hunterdon County FFA members work to fill a 53-foot trailer with hurricane relief donations.
In tough times, it’s often difficult to be inspired and find hope. New Jersey FFA members, however, are Living to Serve as they collect donations and inspire hope for those impacted by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
Throughout October, the Hunterdon County ESEA and Hunterdon County Polytech FFA Chapters, which are located in northwestern New Jersey, organized a Hurricane Helene relief collection drive to help those in need. Hurricane Helene flooded North Carolina earlier this year, with some areas receiving more than 2 feet of rain in about 24 hours. The storm washed away fences, orchards, homes, livestock and crops, making it difficult for farmers and the community to acquire necessities and recover.
As word of the donations spread throughout New Jersey, the FFA chapters and community quickly filled a 14-foot cargo trailer. This resulted in the chapters also finding and filling a 53-foot box trailer to be sent to people and animals in need. Members collected 31,000 pounds of water, food, clothes, sanitary products, livestock feeders, lead ropes, grain, feed, tools and non-prescription veterinary supplies.
The donation trailer is filled with water, sanitary products, food and livestock equipment.
The donations were sent to the McDowell Agricultural Center, a North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension organization housed in Marion, N.C. The center works to expand agriculture awareness and literacy in McDowell County by educating people on food safety, team building, gardening, natural resources, life sciences and where food comes from.
When the trailer arrived in North Carolina, the center didn’t have any more pet food, which people were actively searching for. The chapters’ donations refilled an entire lean-to with pet food donations alone!
Hunterdon County Polytech FFA members stand in front of the 53-foot trailer used for donations.
The trailer was donated for use by Stern Farms LLC in Hunterdon County. Members were also able to recruit a longtime FFA supporter, George Stillwell, from Sunset Ridge Express, to provide the truck that drove the trailer to the McDowell Agricultural Center.
