Bethel to collect hurricane relief supplies through Oct. 11

Organizers at Bethel Pentecostal Fellowship hope to fill a warehouse with specific items within the next week and a half to send to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of devastation left behind from Hurricane Maria.

Officials began collecting items Friday at Bethel Pentecostal’s warehouse, located at 206 Enterprise Ave. in Patterson.

People are encouraged to donate diapers, nonperishable baby formula, baby wipes, bottles and nipples, and feminine care products.

Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico Sept. 20, killing at least 16 people and leaving nearly all 3.4 million people on the island without power and most without water, according to an Associated Press article.

The hours of collection are from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday. Officials plan to collect items through Oct. 11.

The Rev. Marty Harden of Bethel Pentecostal said church leaders were asked by St. Mary Parish homeland security officials to collect the items in the church’s warehouse. Items collected will eventually be put on pallets and transported to Puerto Rico.

“I think we can store as much as they can send,” Harden said.

Church members were glad to help in any way they could to provide relief to those in need in Puerto Rico, he said. Members volunteered to receive items as people drop them off.

Even in the event of rain, people will be able to drop off their donations in the warehouse, Harden said.

Though organizers haven’t collected a lot of items yet, Harden expects the donations to pick up as word gets out about what they’re doing.

Bethel also plans to send to Puerto Rico numerous boxes of school uniforms that were previously donated to the church, he said.