Mother Nature is strong, but Scouts are, too.
After Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael pummeled parts of the southeastern United States, Scouts and Venturers stepped up to help. Packs, troops and crews collected essential supplies, cleaned fallen debris and helped set up emergency evacuation shelters.
The Carolinas, Florida Panhandle and Georgia will bounce back from these storms. Thanks to these instances of Scouting service, plus many more to come, those communities will recover more quickly.
Check out just a few examples of Good Turns below. If you know of more, please share stories and photos in the comments section.
Troop 8 of Wilson, N.C.
The Scouts set up three emergency evacuation shelters. They assembled 300 cots, hauled water and organized meals for displaced families.
Troop 392, Troop 41 and Pack 41 of Kinston, N.C.
The Scouts filled hundreds of sandbags for local residents and businesses to protect their property from the rising floodwaters of the Neuse River, which reached near-record heights.
Troop 46 of Greenville, N.C.
Nineteen Scouts and eight adults cleared debris and fallen limbs from the yards of four elderly homeowners. The beneficiaries included a resident who uses a wheelchair, one undergoing hip replacement surgery, and a family that was out of town and hadn’t yet seen their house.
Several Scouting units from New Bern, N.C.
Scouts, Scouters and parents worked at a relief center set up at New Life Church. They unloaded three tractor-trailers of supplies each day. The trucks came from Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana and beyond to bring food, water, clothes, cleaning supplies, diapers and more.
The volunteers came from Troop 1884, Troop 13, Troop 584, Troop 299, Pack 1884, Pack 57, Pack 299, Pack 13, and Crew 1884.
Even more great stories
Troop 998 and Pack 998 of Clermont, Fla.: The Scouts are gathering essential cleaning supplies for residents affected by Hurricane Michael. They’re accepting donations of garbage bags, work gloves, tarps, box fans and more.
White Oak River District, East Carolina Council: Scouts, Scouters and parents collected small games and stuffed animals to help distract and soothe children who were rescued by helicopter, truck or boat.
BSA council camps in Tennessee and Georgia opened their doors for Hurricane Florence evacuees who needed a place to stay during the storm and immediately after.
Troop 81 of Jacksonville, N.C.: The Scouts have logged more than 400 hours of service for Hurricane Florence victims and learned some important lessons along the way.
Scouts in Paramus, N.J., despite being some 500 miles from Hurricane Florence’s path of devastation, collected cleaning supplies and nonperishable food to send south.
Hurricanes: How to prepare, stay safe and recover
The BSA has shared this excellent collection of advice to help you before, during and after hurricanes.
Scouts and Scouters looking to help others affected by natural disasters should pay careful attention to the “recover” section, which lists the safety precautions to take once recovery efforts begin.
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