PRAIRIEVILLE — As communities in Tennessee work to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, a local realty business and school in Louisiana are stepping up to help. Property First Realty, in partnership with Agape Christian School, has organized a drive called “Toiletries for Tennessee” to collect essential items and deliver them to the affected areas. While the community response has been incredible, one urgent need remains: transportation.
What started as a small school project has grown into a community-wide effort. KaLee Schols, agent at Property First Realty and a mother of children attending Agape Christian School, is now seeking assistance to transport the donations.
“Our biggest thing right now is I’d like to get a big RV donated, or somebody with a truck,” Schols shared. “We were looking for anyone who wanted to do a donation for a truck rental or RV rental. We are going to drive it to Tennessee and distribute supplies.”
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Agape Christian School has played a significant role in the relief efforts by involving its students. Each grade was assigned a specific list of items to collect, ranging from bottled water and non-perishable food to hygiene products and baby supplies. While the response has been heartwarming, the challenge now is getting the supplies to those most in need.
“We were all affected by flooding in 2016 and know the impact it can have on a community,” Schols explained, drawing on memories of the devastation that struck the Denham Springs and Greater Baton Rouge area just a few years ago. “We as local moms would love to get the word out and get help with donations.”
The Devastation of Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene has impacted several states, with Tennessee bearing some of the worst damage. Torrential rains caused widespread flooding, displacing thousands of families, damaging over 12,000 homes, and leaving entire neighborhoods without power or clean water. Local emergency services are stretched thin, with many areas still cut off due to flooded roads and damaged infrastructure.
With an estimated $5 billion in damages, Tennessee faces a long road to recovery. Efforts like the one led by Property First Realty, with support from Agape Christian School, are crucial to providing immediate relief to displaced families.
A Community That Knows the Pain of Disaster
Residents of Denham Springs and Greater Baton Rouge understand the hardships that follow natural disasters. In August 2016, historic floods devastated southern Louisiana, causing over $10 billion in damages and affecting more than 140,000 homes. For families who endured those floodwaters, recovery was a long and difficult process.
“Going through the 2016 floods, we know how vital it is to have help from outside communities,” said Schols, reflecting on the outpouring of support that helped her community rebuild. “Now, we want to pay that forward and be the ones who help others in need.”
Property First Realty has taken the lead in gathering donations, offering its Prairieville office as a drop-off location. However, without a truck or RV to transport the donations, the effort faces a logistical challenge. Schols remains hopeful that someone from the community or the trucking industry will step forward to offer assistance.
“If anybody knows someone in the trucking business or RV rental that would, you know, let us take it up there,” Schols said. “Or if someone is willing to drive up there with us, we’d be definitely gracious.”
How You Can Help
Donations can be dropped off at Property First Realty in Prairieville. The team is asking for assistance from anyone who can provide an RV or truck to help transport the goods to Tennessee.
DROP OFF TIMES: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at 37283 Swamp Rd Ste. 1302, Prairieville, LA 70769
Through the generosity of local moms, businesses, and schools, this relief drive aims to bring hope to those impacted by Hurricane Helene, just as Louisiana was lifted up during its darkest days.
For more information or to donate, contact Property First Realty at kaleeschols@hotmail.com
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