MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. —
Last week, Bridget Shepherd’s son was inspired by YouTubers who gathered supplies for those affected by Helene. By Tuesday, she already had two boxes full of supplies land in the mountains of North Carolina.
“We're going to give a little bit of love and a little bit of touch to that and just embrace that little community that, you know, what we can do,” Shepherd said. “So make sure everybody gets a little bit of love.”
Baxter’s Towing & Storage donated containers to help deliver the items and are the main drop-off location for the supplies.
Shepherd said the biggest thing for her is sustainability because many people will be going into the fall and winter months without heating or electricity.
“As we transition, not only just the survival aspects, and we do need additional food, we don't, you know, I'm not saying we don't get enough, but food is always an essential need. Even if it's a can of soup that's in your cabinet that, you know, I'm just probably not going to eat that. Feel free to drop it off,” she said. “We're looking at different ways to be able to, you know, go forward, keep them warm, fed, and at least, you know, be able to have some things that we can provide.”
When figuring out areas to donate to, Shepherd said she didn’t want to immediately donate to the big hub areas. She wanted the focus to be on areas that she thinks are underserved.
I want to make sure that this stuff hits the community. I want to make sure that that we are literally getting this to the people,” she said. “That's why we're doing this, you know, and that's more important of what we can do literally that will make the change and the difference.”
Although she can’t fix the missing houses, cars, and communities, Shepherd will do her part to change the situation.
