Two Mt. Juliet non-profit organizations are making a difference in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and Cocke County, Tennessee by reaching out to victims, both humans and animals.
Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction and fatalities across the Southeast, including East Tennessee the last part of September. Animal shelter True Rescue based in Mt. Juliet and MJ4Help, a Mt. Juliet organization for those in need, have organized different drives with trips to, and contacts in, ravaged areas.
Amy Breedlove heads up MJ4Hope, and since the hurricane hit, this non-profit has been making a difference, with the help of local donations, in Newport City, in Cocke County. It is still taking donations and will reach out to victims in this area until they run out.
“Already we are able to help seven families in that area,” Breedlove said. “And, we are getting contacts to five more families.”
Breedlove’s initial contact to the area was Fire Department of Mt. Juliet Chief Mark Foulks who was the fire chief in Greenville. Through him, Breedlove was able to hear about some Newport City families displaced.
“They were given vouchers for a few nights in hotels, but when they run out, they have nowhere to go,” she said. “We are taking monetary donations to help with these needs and getting $200-$300 to each family while we can, so they can stay somewhere.”
Breedlove said another outreach was for someone who needed their medication that had to be delivered on horseback. She said other donations will go toward solar powered generators.
“Some people are sleeping in tents,” she said. “It’s just really really bad.”
MJ4Hope has approval to reach out to help Tennessee-based needs, as well as locally. She said they are making sure through trusted contacts that donations to their organization will to straight to families in need, with no middle-man interference.
“We are working with city officials and contacts we have right there,” she said.
Currently they are working with about $3,000 in donations and as long as they have them they will work with hurricane victims.
Go to MJ4Hope.org and look for the donation tab.
True Rescue
Animal shelter True Rescue is currently in Madison County, North Carolina. Executive Director Ami Simcik and Director of Operations Kristin Condit are both there with other volunteers and focusing on mostly affected cats, and some dogs,
“They are coordinating with other animal rescue groups to find places for this shelter’s current (mostly cats) and some dogs,” Foster and Adoption Coordinator Sandy Moyer said. “They want to clear out the shelter there as much as they can so when cats and dogs are found when the waters recede they can go to this local shelter and hopefully their owners can come and find them.”
They are also working with the BISSELL Pet Foundation as well. True Rescue rescued 26 cats and kittens and two dogs in their first 48 hours in N.C. They are also assisting in administrative work at the shelter and are coordinating transports.
“Amy has gone out with their shelter director to pass out donated food here from Mt. Juliet,” said Moyer. “They put as much as they could in their car.”
There were hundreds of donations prior to their trip from caring residents in Mt. Juliet for this first trip to Madison County.
“We are literally taking all donations because they need everything in the flooded areas from cat food, dog food, litter, pet cages, cleaning supplies, everything,” said Moyer. “We are transporting these donations ourselves.”
True Rescue is located at 12110 Lebanon Rd. in Mt. Juliet. Donations are accepted on their porch during open hours.
