MEMPHIS, Tenn. — We’ve seen people from all over the country coming together to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey, many of them right here in the Mid-South.
Saturday, dozens of people showed up to lend a hand loading up supplies headed for Houston, and social media helped the good deed take off.
It all began Wednesday with a single Facebook post.
“I just got up early one morning, 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning, kind of put a post out there and just made a few phone calls, and I never knew that it would be this much,” said Willie ‘Hollywood’ Evans.
A few hours later, people were already dropping off donations.
“We’ve got Pampers, we have toothbrushes, we have clothes,” he said. “We have everything. You name it, we got it.”
Evans continued posting his pleas for donations and muscle power to Facebook, and every day since, volunteers have been filling his garage with supplies.
“From sun up to sun down,” said volunteer Cherryl Crite.
Everything is being loaded onto a 53-foot 18-wheeler and two trailers donated to the cause, hitting the road for Houston Tuesday.
“Them people need our help, them people are our brothers and our sisters,” Crite said. “We’re one separation away from being related. That’s what it’s about – taking care of our own folk.”
Volunteers spent their Saturday loading up hundreds of bottles of water, cases of peanut butter, clothes and even diapers for the people of Houston who lost everything.
“A lot of these people I don’t even know, and they found it in their heart, they’re here to help us out,” Evans said.
No matter their race, religion or political views – just people helping people.
“It’s not about black or white, whatever have you,” said volunteer James Debose. “The thing about it is you’re trying to help and you want to help your fellow mankind.”
Evans said any donations that don’t fit onto the 18-wheeler and trailers will be donated to a local charity.