WAUPUN — Homan Chrysler in Waupun and Homan Ford in Ripon set up temporary donation centers for disaster relief following Hurricane Helene which devastated several southern states two weeks ago.
The donation drive was originally organized by Lisa Plath Darnick and Carole DeCramer in Brandon, which Homan Auto heard about and began collecting donations for.
“By now most everyone has heard about the victims of Hurricane Helene,” wrote Lisa Plath Darnick in her original post. “My sister, Carole DeCramer and I have organized a supplies drive to help with the most basic needs. WDS Construction, where my husband is employed, is sponsoring the shipping. A family friend, Megan Roehrig Long, born and raised in Fond du Lac, is now a resident of Tennessee. As a health care worker, she is not able to get to her patients because there are no roads and sometimes no homes. She describes it as apocalyptic.”
Plath Darnick included a list of items that they were looking for, including flashlights, batteries, trash bags, work gloves, toothbrushes and toothpaste, rubbing alcohol, bandages, candles, lighters, blankets, tents, pet food, diapers, baby formula, and nonperishable food items that do not need to be cooked.
Many of these items and more were brought to Homan Auto, including other important necessities like charcoal and large amounts of bottled water.
“People have been dropping stuff off well beyond our expectations, it’s been phenomenal,” said Dan Holz, sales manager at Homan Chrysler. “And that’s just the way Waupun is, right? It’s what we do, it’s something that we’re really good at—helping out those that need it.”
They emphasized that it will go to a direct contact in the region who is directly involved with relief, so they won’t be stored away in some warehouse.
The cutoff for donations was Tuesday night, October 8. Homan Auto closed their donations at 6PM, which will be picked up Wednesday morning on the way to Tennessee. According to an employee at Homan Auto, the donated items will be packed into a U-Haul for the trip.
