Help For Sandy Victims

VINCENNES, IND. (WTHI) -      A faith-based relief organization in southern Indiana is getting ready to provide some aid to hard hit victims of hurricane Sandy.

     The organization Helping His Hands is getting loaded to head to the hard hit east coast.

     This relief effort may be a little different from those in the past.

     The mess that Hurricane Sandy made along the east coast may have gotten lost in the noise surrounding the election, but the devastation is still there and very real.

     It's the kind of personal pain that drives Helping His Hands leaders to send out aid.

     "When you have stood in the midst of a neighborhood and everything's gone and you're talking to people who have lost everything," said Director Scott Shipman.  "It really starts showing how fragile life is."

     Now a store room in the Campus Christian Fellowship building on the Vincennes University campus is filling with donations.

     The group is getting ready to deliver them to the victims of Sandy early next week.

     Beginning Thursday evening volunteers will begin filling boxes with all kinds of food and personal care and other items, but this particular disaster is a little different than some of the others because this time they're also going to be needing blankets.

     "Because of this winter mix that is coming in we're kind of looking for coats, coats and gloves and hats," said Shipman.  "That is the only clothing we're starting to collect."

     By they time the group is finished they hope to have a 40 foot truck stuffed full of items that are needed by people in the Sandy disaster area.

     "In the midst of the disaster we want to bring hope," said Shipman.

     Hope in the form of help from a small southern Indiana community that reaches into the areas still needing to recover from the storm.

     To find out more about ways you can help you can go to www.HelpingHisHands.com.