BELLOWS FALLS — Lorraine Wright, who now lives in the northern Vermont town of Franklin, used to live in the Westminster area.
When she saw the scenes of devastation from Tropical Storm Irene in Windham County, she knew what she had to do.
“I have a lot of friends there and a lot of people helped me out at different times when I was there,” Wright told WCAX-TV. “And it’s time for me to return the favor.”
She organized a drive in Enosburg Falls, and collected food and supplies for southern Vermont flood victims.
Wright and another volunteer, Robert Hemond, filled up a 16-foot trailer with non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, pet food, fresh produce, and other needs. More than 40 businesses in the Enosburgh Falls area chipped in.
She wanted to take the trailer to the Putney Community Center, but according to Mike Mrowicki, there wasn’t enough room to accept her donation.
“Our food shelf is really a large, closet-sized room,” said Mrowicki, “and from their description of the size of the load, it was way beyond our capacity.”
Instead, the supplies were delivered Monday to Our Place in Bellows Falls, the Saxtons River Fire Station and Athens Community Church.
“That was an amazing donation,” said Mrowicki.
The shelves at Our Place were already crowded from a food drive on Saturday in Bellows Falls sponsored by WOOL Radio, according to Lisa Pritchard of Our Place.
Pritchard said volunteers, including students from Vermont Academy, came in Monday to make room in the food pantry and help unload the donated goods from Wright and Hemond.
“There must have been 5,000 pounds of food,” said Pritchard. “[Wright and Hemond] got people from all over to load it up.”
They also gave $200 in cash.
Pitchard said she tried to give some of Wright and Hemond’s goods to other area food shelves, but she said that all are reporting record levels of giving and pantries filled to overflowing.
“It’s the good side of Vermont coming out,” said Pritchard. “When something like this happens, people come out of the woodwork wanting to help. We’re just glad to give them a way to help.”