As the Devastation Continues, I Want to Help…
(Photo Credit: CNN)
I just want to let you all know that I was so inspired and very moved by the comments that you made on the “Helping the South” post. What an incredibly amazing community we have built here on Hip2Save. All of you have truly touched my life in so many ways. With that being said, I want to give back in a huge way!
The devastation in the mid-west and south is not getting any better as now not only have tornadoes destroyed areas, but flooding is creating havoc as well. People are without homes, without food… some even without family. Just take one minute to imagine being in their shoes or lack thereof, surrounded by a situation that leaves so many feeling hopeless.
I am ready, ready to make a huge impact on so many. I want to bring hope back to the lives of people in these devastated areas. …And I know we Hip2Savers can do just that. We can and we WILL make a difference.
**If you are living in an affected area that is in need of supplies and/or community service assistance, please fill out this survey here.
I will have an update on this big project we are putting together very soon, so stay tuned!
Thanks for encouraging the support of the victims. This brings back nightmares of my area from Hurricane Katrina but it was nice to know that PODS (Point of Distribution Sites) were available to go and “shop” from for supplies that we no longer had access to at our stores that were destroyed.
I have sent my share of supplies to the victims and hope that others will do the same.
I just packaged up a bunch of my stockpile after reading your story. Ended up with a box of toothpast, deodorant, toothbrushes, feminine products, OTC medications, dental floss, and more that weighed in at 31 lbs. It will be on it’s way to the vicitms tonight! Thank you SO much for thinking of the victims and posting this so the rest of us can join you in lending a helping hand! God Bless you all!!
Just sent a package to a church in Alabama. I definitely want to do more! Thanks for all you do and for having a caring and sharing heart.
Collin,
Tell me what you need, I will help out! Lead the way!! We will support you & follow!
I mailed out a package to Alabama today and I am keeping everyone in my thoughts and prayers. I am looking forward to your update on this project to see how I can help out some more.
don’t forget you can donate your swagbucks, as little as 5 but every one counts
Hello everyone. I don’t think I have posted any comments on here before, I normally just come on and read about the great deals. I live in Soddy Daisy, TN and was not affected by the storms this time. Thank goodness. My husband has a friend who lives in Trenton, Ga and was told that City Hall in Trenton will be taking up prom dresses for the girls who lost their dresses to the storms. They will start at 8:00 am Saturday morning. My daughter went to 4 proms when she was in school and the dresses are in her closet taking up space. I know where they will be going. I know how much she loved going to her proms. I hope someone will get as much joy out of them as she did. I also have boxes packed and ready to go thanks to some of the great deals I got from ready this site.
I just wanted to let people know if they have dresses taking up space this would be a good way to help out some girls who have been through so much. I hope they can have a good prom.
I look forward to helping you out any way that I can. I have a stockpile together that I would love to send to victims but am not sure where to send it. If anyone has contact information, please let me know! Thanks!
Here you go: https://www.waff.com/story/14549722/donate-clothing-and-other-essentials
Thanks for your help!!
As for personal care items: I contacted Samaritans Purse and asked where they were working. They gave me info for a partner church. I called them and they said they had plenty of clothes but had not gotten many toiletries. So I sent off a box today to:
(205) 310-9836
Bethel Baptist Church
3003 25th St.
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Hope it helps…
Very helpful!
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know!
This is the county I live in. Major need of supplies! Hackleburg, Alabama needs donations. Thanks for everyone that is donating. God Bless you!
https://youtu.be/tZne5Yw0KgM
I was bout to post Hackleburg and Cullman. We went up there and work. So sorry for all your lost we were missed my 2miles but so many friends lost everything. We are praying for everyone
To help out Hackleburg, AL you can contact the Ramp ministry office at (205) 921-0909.
I spent hours on ebay the other night trying to win auctions for similac formula coupons because I read that ready to use formula is one of the most needed items right now. Sadly, I couldn’t win any of the auctions so I tried to do “best offers” on some buy it now auctions. I explained I was planning to buy the formula and donate it to disaster relief ib the south. I just needed a decent deal on the auction. No one accepted my offers (which were very reasonable). I went to bed disappointed in man kind that night. Im willing to help out in any way I can. If anyone has formula coupons but you don’t want to deal with the walmart hassle I would be happy to do the leg work of driving around redeeming the coupons and then making sure the donations be to those in need.
Jess, I have several similac coupons I would love to give. Please email me at
bartontj909@aol.com and I will get them in the mail to you.
I have several $3 formula coupons that I would be happy to send you, but I don’t have any $5 coupons left. I personally can’t afford to buy the formula to donate even if I am only paying $0.84 for it because right now we can’t spare any money (even if it is only a few cents). (I am planning to donate the items in our meager stockpile that we can spare to the flood victims in a town not far from where I live.) Please email me if you are interested in them. sathomason (at) gmail (dot) com
Fell out of bed feeling down. This has birgehnted my day!
Please email me your address so I can priority mail these coupons to you ASAP!
huntercolette@yahoo.com
I picked up several flat rate boxes from the post office yesterday and now I know what I’m going to fill them with. My storage spaces are being overflowing with stockpile supplies and now I’m going to purge. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy. Going to ship to several shelters in AL.
What a great thing you’ve started, Collin. And THANK YOU to each of you supporting these families. I live in a county effected by these storms and thank God my family is safe, but I know many who are not. We are having funerals for entire families, looking for family members of babies in the hospital, not knowing who they belong to…I have co-workers who have lost houses, friends who have lost parents, the devastation is like nothing I have ever seen. My husband said it reminded him of when he was in the middle of a war zone in Bosnia (ARMY). I can’t relate to that, but I think that says a lot. The outpouring of donations has been amazing, but one thing many are forgetting is TOYS. Families need hygiene items, camping supplies because many are camping out at their homesite (batteries, sunscreen, bug spray, bottled water, etc), clothes…and these items are being donated, but toys are needed for those children who have lost everything and need a little piece of security – something to hold onto and occupy their time while their family members search through rubble for anything they can salvage. The best thing of all…your prayers. Please pray for the people of Alabama…it’s difficult to explain why this happened. My 6 year old son asks me every time we pass an uprooted tree or pile of trash that has been cleaned up, “Why did God send the storms”…I’ve told him He didn’t send the storms, but then he asks, “Why didn’t God stop the storms?” …and I can only cry. So hard for a child to comprehend…I work in a school system where we have lost students, parents and entire families…please, please, pray for Alabama.
Collin,
Whatever you’re planning, I want in. I sent 2 boxes to Kristin (couponingtodisney.com), but I still have more to share. Let me know what I can do. Thanks!
I am thinking of getting a flat rate box and sending something down to the areas affected, but my questions to those who are informed about the donation process are:
1) What kinds of things should I send? Coupons? Hygiene items? Blankets? Toys?
2) What organizations/churches should I send to? Any addresses or websites?
thank you all
https://www.waff.com/story/14549722/donate-clothing-and-other-essentials
I don’t think coupons are needed a much as supplies.
I also found “our community” here on Hip2Save very moving when reading through the comments the other day! Collin, you have the best site and the best readers! My package went out yesterday! GREAT JOB EVERYONE! 🙂
First, Collin thank you for doing this!!! I am from AL and my family and friends are still there. It looks like a warzone. For anyone wanting to donate check out Limestone/Madison County local news site: https://www.waff.com/story/14549722/donate-clothing-and-other-essentials
My friends and I have teamed up to collect quite a bit to send to AL. Lots of freebies from couponing, which is just great to see. The challenge was for each friend to just give one thing and now we have so much!
Thank you all so much for helping out. I live in Arkansas which has experienced record breaking flooding across parts of the state. There are several towns that had damage due to tornadoes as well. As a southerner I wanted to say that it is great to know that the rest of our country cares about us. 🙂
Thank you so much to everyone who has offered to help by sending Similac coupons. I am lucky enough to.have a job with a company car/gas so I will be happy to drive around to every Walmart necessary to use all the coupons provided. I will send the formula out ASAP! Where do you all think is the best place to send it?
Here is an updated list of supplies needed for flood victims in Memphis and surrounding areas.
Hope Presbyterian Church | 8500 Walnut Grove Rd. | Cordova, TN 38018 is were items can be sent. Call (901) 654-2150 for information, and use staysafeshelby.us to keep up to date on the flooding.
CLEAN towels and washcloths (new preferred) BIG NEED FOR WASHCLOTHS
Batteries for toys, baby swings, etc.) sizes: C,D, AA, AAA BIG NEED
Ear Plugs BIG NEED
New socks for kids and adults BIG NEED
Flip Flops (for the showers) BIG NEED
Shaving cream/gel BIG NEED
Wal-Mart or Target gift cards BIG NEED
Deodorant Men’s/Women’s BIG NEED
Shampoo/conditioner (unopened hotel bottles work great) BIG NEED
Hair Brushes
Combs (Wide & Regular Tooth)
Pony tail holders/Hair clips
Bobby pins BIG NEED
Body lotion
Hand Sanitizer
Gatorade
Toothbrushes (individually packaged)
Toothpaste
Training/Toddler Toothpaste BIG NEED
Children’s toothbrushes BIG NEED
Hair Gel BIG NEED
General first-aid (band-aids, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, TUMS, rubbing alcohol) BIG NEED FOR RUBBING ALCOHOL & PEROXIDE
Lip Balm BIG NEED
Diapers & Pull-Ups (all sizes) 0-3, 6, 2t, 3t, 4t, 5t
Baby/Child Medicine BIG NEED
Teething Medicine BIG NEED
Diaper Rash Cream BIG NEED
Travel size baby lotion & wash BIG NEED
Baby blankets
Baby food
Baby Oil BIG NEED
Baby spoons
Baby bottles
Baby pacifiers
Baby Shampoo/Lotion/Wash
Baby bottle brushes
Baby formula (No generics please: Carnation or Gerber “Good Start Gentle Plus”)
Pedialyte
Vaseline (generic welcome) BIG NEED
Sanitary Pads/Tampons
Depends (NOT Adult Diapers) BIG NEED
i am living in the middle of this. the waters have never been this high. i had just moved a little over a year ago from a house in Finley, TN that is completely covered in water. I know the tornadoes are harder to deal with because you have about 5 second to get out. With these floods we have had over a week to get out, but these waters may not go down for almost two months.
Colin…I do not know how you wish to get the info…I filled out the survey minus the names and contact nbrs since I did not have them and now can not get back to the site.
There is a young Christian man that has been helping a lot of the victims, living in the midst of the damage in Concord but himself was spared. We contacted him for info of the most needy. HIs family has adopted 4 families. Joey Bunn can be reached at 205-907- 9159. Mention Lucy Mason’s name so he will know who you are. He puts updates on the following FB page:
Concord, Al tornado updates
This is a great thing you are doing. Thank you.