Wednesday morning in Rotterdam, people stood in a circle for a group prayer, as the volunteers got ready for a long trip down south.

“Very important, I have approximately 40 generators on my truck that will be distributed to people who really need them,” said volunteer Ron Fonda. “Something that small will make a big difference to some people.”

The trucks headed out on the relief operation to people in North Carolina who were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Meanwhile, people are still donating. There are donation sites around the region.

At one site at Dagen Trucking in Castleton, there are stacks of goods, everything from blankets and diapers to water and first aid kits.

“People have been so generous donating when they don’t have any money themselves to pay their bills,” said owner Mary Keim. “Take a look! It’s been absolutely unbelievable. We have a bunch of people stopping today, making calls to us asking us what we need and we tell them anything and everything.”

Travis Landry brought a carload of items. His family donated bins of brand new shirts in different colors.

As we first showed you Monday, donations have been pouring in ever since Justin Sherwin of East Greenbush had an idea to deliver some help.

Word spread quickly. One pickup turned into several tractor-trailers and trucks.

“We have another truck leaving on Saturday and we’ll continue to go as long as we can,” said Sherwin.

Volunteers do not know what they will find, but they are buoyed by the generosity of their community, and full of resolve to help their fellow man.

Here’s a list of drop-off locations for donations:

Ac’s Towing Rotterdam
Towaway Towing Hudson Falls
Dagen Trucking Castleton
Taste of Italy Latham
43 Farms East Greenbush
Deify Salon East Greenbush
Watervliet Fire Department
Eagle Eye Auto Colonie
CK Companies Schenectady