In late September, Hurricane Helene swept through the southeast leaving a path of catastrophic devastation. Much of the most serious damage and loss of life has occurred in western North Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Cities like Asheville, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock and Swannanoa were virtually cut off and have only recently been accessible. Kirsten and Rob Balancia, members of Christ the King Lutheran Church, recently traveled to North Carolina, delivering supplies and then working for multiple days with Samaritan’s Purse in Boone, N.C.

Now the temperatures are dropping, and the Balancias and others are shifting their efforts. Volunteers are conducting a coat drive, with the plan to deliver the outerwear to those who need them.

A drive-thru coat drive is being planned for Saturday, November 23, in the parking lot of Christ the King Lutheran Church, 85 Mount Pleasant Road.

Readers are asked to consider donating clean, lightly used coats. Volunteers will be on hand from 9 am until noon.

Coats collected that morning will be shipped immediately to the hardest hit areas in need, the Balancias have promised.

For those who would like to help the effort but are unable to attend the coat drive, the church is accepting donations. Checks payable to Christ the King Lutheran Church, with coat drive noted on the memo line, can be mailed to Robert Balancia c/o Helene Relief, 142 Carriage Drive, Southbury CT 06488.

One hundred percent of all donations will be put toward buying new and used coats for those who have lost so much.

For additional information contact the church office at 203-426-6300.