Community Bulletin
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BUCKHANNON – Local governmental agencies and emergency services in the Buckhannon-Upshur community have designated the West Virginia Wesleyan College Auxiliary Gym as the centralized location for dropping off and picking up critically needed items for flood victims.
James Moore, president of West Virginia Wesleyan College, said the school had been coordinating with local agencies to serve as a hub for recovery efforts.
“We are the primary spot where people can donate needed supplies. Probably the most urgent needs we have, as the governor said, are water and cleaning supplies,” Moore said. “We’re storing all these supplies in our auxiliary gym, and we’ve been coordinating with the county commission, which is managing volunteers. We are going to be welcoming 50 members of the United Methodist disaster response team to campus; they’re going to be bringing in flood buckets and coordinating with other denominations to do that.”
The drop-off location for supplies from individuals is the oval in front of the chapel fountain.
Randy Sanders, Buckhannon’s city recorder, said people in need of these supplies can just show up at the auxiliary gym and take what they need.
“They’ll be directed on how to walk around and retrieve items. We even have some shopping carts over there they can use,” Sanders said. “They’re limited, but they can use those shopping carts and go around, get what they need — bleach, water, whatever they need.”
Local in-person donations are still being accepted at the Auxiliary Gymnasium at West Virginia Wesleyan College daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those in need of supplies can also visit the auxiliary gymnasium during these hours.
According to a press release from the City of Buckhannon, online-ordered donations intended for flood-relief support can be shipped to the Buckhannon Fire Department, 22 S. Florida St., Buckhannon, WV 26201.
This option is available for orders placed through major online retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, Home Depot, and other online vendors. The wish list includes extension cords, household fans, air mattresses, toilet paper, paper towels, non-perishable food items, Gatorade, bottled water, paper plates, plastic silverware, regular-size trash bags, mops, brooms, shovels, and Clorox (liquid disinfectant).
Shipping donations directly to the fire department ensures rapid intake, sorting and distribution to residents impacted by recent flooding.
For volunteer manpower coordination, residents should contact the Upshur County Office of Emergency Management at 304-472-4983.
Jason Keeling, executive director of the American Red Cross of Allegheny Highlands, said they are in a mass care phase of disaster relief, which includes ensuring those affected have food, clothes and shelter.
“Our next phase will be what we call recovery. We anticipate that’ll be happening soon, and that’s where we go out and do damage assessment, and for those people whose homes have been majorly impacted or destroyed, we provide some additional assistance to them,” Keeling said. “We’ll be working with National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to distribute cleanup kits. Those are some of our priorities right now.”
Keeling said anyone experiencing flooding in their living spaces should call 1-800-RED-CROSS to find out what services they offer, such as replacing prescription glasses or other medical prescriptions.
“There are opportunities to potentially volunteer, if not now, in the future. Also, for those who are interested in contributing financially to the mission, which goes to benefit the clients we’ll serve, go to redcross.org, where readers can find out more about how to volunteer, how to donate money, how to donate blood, all essential functions to support the mission,” Keeling said.
Keeling said the Red Cross needs blood donors because supplies dwindle in the summer.
“Right now, we are already in an emergency shortage of blood due to summer circumstances like vacations and schools being out, but with disasters like this, it also exacerbates that need for blood because we have to cancel drives and people aren’t as able to get out, so this is just one example of an area being impacted, and we see this happen throughout the country,” he said.
