A Putnam County church recently returned from western North Carolina to make sure children affected by Hurricane Helene can have a merry Christmas. Saint Mary Catholic Church in Leipsic recently delivered around $100,000 worth of toys as Christmas gifts to the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry Christmas Angel Program in Arden, North Carolina. The Leipsic church made it their mission to bring Christmas joy to North Carolina as their holiday service project after hearing the Christmas Angel Program would assist over 2,500 children this year.

Waynesfield-Goshen students were touched by the devastation that residents in North Carolina faced from Hurricane Helene. The students are collecting new or gently used coats, gloves, and hats for the residents of Black Mountain, North Carolina. They are working with a Baptist church in that area to help provide the coats to people who need them. The schools in black mountain recently reopened after they dealt with flooding from a record amount of rain in late September.  Now with recovery efforts ongoing and winter fast approaching, the Waynesfield-Goshen students are asking for help to give kids and adults down there who lost everything a warm coat.

October 22, 2024, Press Release from McDonald's: OHIO – McDonald's owner operators throughout Ohio will be raising funds for those affected by Hurricane Helene on Wednesday, October 23. The fundraiser will be held at 380 restaurants across Ohio. McDonald’s of Ohio restaurants will be donating 10 percent of all sales purchased through the McDonald’s app. The donations will support ongoing relief for North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Helene. Each store will be donating a minimum of $200.

As the cleanup continues from hurricanes Helene and Milton in Florida and other states, alarm bells are sounding over scammers. Millions of Americans are trying to lend a helping hand through supplies and donations, but the Better Business Bureau says shady charities are also trying to tap into that spirit of generosity. If you're trying to figure out if an organization is legit, ask yourself whether you reached out to them. A real red flag is when they contact you through an email, text, or voicemail.