Raleigh-based Helping Hands Mission helps fight Ebola in Africa
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A Raleigh-based organization known for aiding Wake County's low income, elderly, homeless, disabled and handicapped communities is lending a helping hand to the Ebola crisis overseas.
The Helping Hand Mission has collected food and sanitary items for the Ebola hot zone in west Africa for several weeks.
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"I'm just really heartened at what I've seen," said Executive Director Sylvia Wiggins, "Today, we had over 60 people. People have been coming in and dropping things off. People have been helping out."
Volunteers are sorting boxes and wrapping 300 jugs of bleach, latex gloves, and surgical masks that have been donated by local pharmaceutical companies to send to Liberia, where hundreds have died from Ebola.
"We're looking for protective gear and anything that people can use to kind of protect them from this disease," Wiggins said.
"I'm hoping that it will knock down the amount of deaths that they've been having so far," Helping Hand volunteer Tom Lambeth added.
The idea came from Addonise Paye. Paye is a Liberian-native who's lived in Raleigh for 11 years. He returned form Monrovia in May and saw a lot of people suffering then.
"The Liberian people... we did not see the seriousness of Ebola at the time. We didn't know that it was going to be this deadly," explained Paye.
Paye said he talks to his family in west Africa every day. One day this past July, Paye said he got a call informing him that 35 people in his hometown died from Ebola on the same day.
"They tell me every day what's going on in Liberia. Our people are dying. They need... really help. They need help really," he said.
The Helping Hand volunteers are wearing t-shirts and have signs that say, "Stop Ebola Now". They are also using social media and the organization's Facebook page to sound the alarm to gain as much support as possible.
"You know what, this is a rallying call for everybody," said Wiggins. "This is a very serious thing. People are losing their lives."
The hope is get their first wave of items shipped overseas by the end of the week.
"I'm just grateful to those who are donating this stuff to help our people back home. I'm really grateful," said Paye.
If you'd like to support the Helping Hand Mission's effort, visit their website http://www.helpinghandmission.org, or visit them at 623 Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh. They can be reached by calling (919) 829-8048.
