Area business owners to help those affected by Tropical Storm Helene
Six trailers filled with donations leave for Carolinas today
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REEDSVILLE -- Like many in the Juniata River Valley, Nancy Sulouff heard about the impact caused by Tropical Storm Helene in the Carolinas.
The Reedsville woman didn't fully comprehend the stories of personal tragedy until she saw it on social media.
"I woke up super early last Thursday morning and was watching Facebook videos," said Nancy, who owns Sinister Mini Donuts food wagon with her husband, Todd, since August 2022. "People kept posting about losing everything.
"The Lord put it on my heart, and I just went with it," she added.
The unfathomable devastation of Helene hit home and Sulouff realized she had to do something. So she came up with the idea of securing a trailer to fill with basic necessities. "I asked my husband, and he said, 'Let's do it!'" Nancy explained.
While first responders did their part to help those impacted by Helene, Juniata River Valley residents like the Sulouffs have tried to do their part here at home, too. The death toll from the storm has climbed to more than 220.
Sinister Donuts was scheduled to appear at the 39th Annual Big Valley Harvestfest at the Mifflin County Youth Park in Reedsville over the weekend, and the Sulouffs figured it would be the perfect place to put their plan into motion.
They arranged to borrow a trailer from Craig Rothrock, owner of Wingman Brew 'N Que in Lewistown. The Sulouffs also appreciated the support of the organizers of Harvestfest.
The Sulouffs never expected the community to step up with such generosity. Originally, they had hoped to fill one trailer and drive it to Black Mountain Presbyterian Church in Black Mountain, N.C., located in the western part of the state.
After posting on social media about accepting donations and seeing it shared more than 500 times, the Sulouffs realized that the response was going to be bigger than they could have ever imagined. By the end of Harvestfest, they had filled six trucks and trailers and were seeking additional drivers to make the 8 ½-hour, 541-mile trek to North Carolina.
"We filled it up on day one," Nancy said. "We were able to get a 12-foot trailer, but we didn't have a driver."
They didn't have a driver for that trailer, but the donations and volunteers kept pouring in.
"People came out of the woodwork," Nancy added. "We only had the 12-footer and the one big one. People were bringing so much stuff, they were setting it on the ground."
Todd and Nancy also had to balance their business needs as well, as their food wagon was open, too. "People were messaging us all day, and we had to make donuts," she recalled. "The volunteers did all of the grunt work. They did a phenomenal job."
The trailers were set up behind the food wagon and the Sulouffs were appreciative of the eight or so volunteers who were there to oversee the donations.
"People were walking up to the donut wagon and asking if we needed a trailer or driver," Nancy said. "It happened little by little, but it got so big, so fast. It was perfect. It all fell into place. Now, all the trailers are full."
Yes, that's right, all six of them. Each loaded with non-perishable household items, including paper products and cleaning and cooking supplies. There were also clothing, pet and baby supplies. People, who didn't donate goods, gave cash or checks, as did many area businesses.
Another area business donated boxes to store and transport the donated goods in, especially since the needs of the residents affected are so vast.
The Sulouffs will depart around 6 a.m. today for the Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, which has a kitchen set up to feed the homeless. They also have a warehouse to store the truckloads of donations that they've received in recent weeks.
"That's where we're headed," Nancy said. "We made sure we had a safe location with open roads going to it."
Multiple truckloads of supplies are coming to the warehouse each day, while crews unload and arrange them into designated sections. The work typically begins around 8 a.m. each morning and ends well after 8 p.m.
The assistance from individuals and families like the Sulouffs have been instrumental in the relief efforts, church officials said. Nancy believes collecting supplies and donations for their neighbors to the south is the least they could do, with so many in need. But, no one behind the effort knew just how big it would become.