In September 2024, Hurricane Helene had a disastrous impact on the communities of Western North Carolina, including fellow higher educational institutions such as Appalachian State University, Western Carolina University, and more. Seeing the catastrophic damage suffered, Sampson Community College (SCC) began a supplies drive entitled “Vikings Helping The Hills,” opening as a collection hub for essential items and working closely with local partners to get the supplies to those most in need.
The goal of the operation was to ensure the first load of donations was shipped in a timely manner, in order to get into the hands of victims as quickly as possible. SCC had originally been gathering supplies to send along with shipments from the Clinton Fire Department (CFD), but learned CFD had recently partnered with Clinton Family Worship Center’s large-scale outreach project for Sampson County.
As a result, the College also decided to collaborate with these two local organizations to help ship the first load of supplies from Sampson County to the mountains, maximizing the impact while minimizing the footprint in the affected areas.
SCC plead for essential items ranging from nonperishables to sanitary items, household supplies, and more. As of Thursday, October 3, the Viking Family went ‘above and beyond’ in their efforts, contributing over 3,000 items to be sent to Western NC. The donations were delivered to Clinton Family Worship that same evening and were prepped for shipment to the mountains.
Over the weekend, the first trucks from Sampson County reached their destination and began to be distributed to those impacted by Hurricane Helene. According to local organizations in Western NC, three truckloads from Clinton Family Worship Center’s outreach project arrived with over 40 tons of supplies- including items donated by SCC.
” I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for donating and sharing to support our friends in Western NC,” thanked John Turner, one of the organizers of ‘Viking Helping The Hills’. “In a time of uncertainty, I hope your contributions bring them hope and comfort. Your generosity has helped ease someone’s hardship, making their difficult situation a little less overwhelming. Thank you for your kindness and support!”
SCC urges others to keep the people of Western NC in their thoughts and efforts. The College is thankful for the support of those who gave towards ‘Vikings Helping The Hills’, and is blessed to be a part of a community that truly puts the “community” in community college.
For more information about how to get involved with disaster relief, email John Turner at jturner@sampsoncc.edu.
