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Vice Mayor Lue Ward and Planning Commissioner Johnnie F. Edwards announced they are currently accepting donations to help Asheville, North Carolina residents ahead of the holiday season.

Ward and Edwards, alongside Zoe Life Ministries Outreach Coordinator Rev. Jay Hannah and Mayor Michael Duman, are collaborating to bring the collected items to Asheville residents on Saturday, Nov. 23. Items are set to be collected on both Saturday, Nov. 9 and Nov. 16 at Mike Duman Auto Sales. Requested items are paper towels, toilet paper, hygiene items, all types of cleaning supplies, soap, aspirin and baby products.

All four appeared during a press conference streamed on Saturday, Nov. 2 on Duman’s Facebook page. Ward reflected on seeing the effects of Hurricane Katrina three months after its devastation and the importance of still .

“Just because you don’t see it on TV, things are still going on and not only the group here, we got some other pastors who say they’re going to join in,” Ward said. “It’s not too late and we always try to give the supplies to them out on Thanksgiving or Christmas. We’re doing Thanksgiving right now, we’ll see after Thanksgiving [to] see how things are.”

Edwards said that seeing the effects of Katrina was “life-changing.”

“When you take those supplies down to that area, it is the goodwill gifts of the people of Suffolk who are saving lives,” Edwards said.

Duman says during times of catastrophes and natural disasters, Americans find ways to come together.

“And it’s a privilege for me to be able to be part of those efforts, and I look forward to giving them the support that they need,” Duman said.

Likewise, Hannah expressed that residents in Asheville and surrounding areas are still in need following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

“To me, it’s incumbent upon us to reach out and do whatever we can to help them in any and every way we can,” Hannah said. “And I urge you to support us in that effort.”