Locals spearhead major relief effort for Midwest flood victims
EASTON, Md. – People on Delmarva are coming together to help keep Nebraska strong by collecting supplies to send to those affected by the major flooding in the Midwest.
Erika Wilson, who owns Wilson Transportation Services and is organizing the relief effort says, “The farmers have lost everything and you know they need help and who better to help them than people just like them.”
That’s why a group of Eastern Shore farmers and truckers are spearheading what has turned into a major relief effort because they couldn’t just sit back and watch the devastation thousands are facing.
Local farmer Paul Hutchison explains, “Their fields were completely wiped clean. They have no hay left, all their winter crops were ruined. They lost what was it $400 million worth of cattle, all the supplies they had so we’re trying to get them back on their feet.”
“Nebraska is just like Delmarva. We are a huge agricultural community and we can relate to their needs and what they want and we can consider this could happen to us,” adds Wilson.
The group has taken it upon themselves to collect not just canned goods and cleaning supplies, but hay, feed and fencing too.
Items they’ll load up into tractor trailers and drive out to the areas hit hardest.
“They’ve got to get their field straight again so they can re-plant everything but seed is costly of course everything is costly there’s no cheap way of doing it so we’re trying to help out,” says Hutchison.
And even though just a small group of people from the Eastern Shore started this effort, it’s now reached dozens of people from all over the state and country.
“There’s been no hesitation. We’ve received donations from Arizona, donations from Texas and of course the majority of it is from here on Delmarva but we just received an outpouring of help from all over.”
And even though their plans are to hit the road on Friday, they will keep collecting and sending agricultural items as long as the need is still there.
To see their latest list of items needed visit their Facebook page Delmarva for #NebraskaStrong.
