EAST DUBLIN, Ga. — One of the groups on the ground helping Central Georgians recover from Helene is the Georgia National Guard.
In East Dublin, the guard set up a distribution center to help provide necessities in a hard-hit area.
“We love it,” Yolanda Florez said. “It's very helpful."
They are doing it all from the East Laurens Middle School parking lot. Guardsman James Parks said each day they've provided more than a thousand cases of water, bags of ice, boxes of meals and tarps. He said there's been a positive response from people in town.
"It's honestly, it's amazing,” Parks said. “We're doing our job, we're helping people. It's unfortunate the circumstances of the people, but it feels very good to come out here and do what we can to help these people out."
Florez said her family appreciates the help because the past week has been hard.
"What's affecting us the most is no electric, no water,” she said. “Our pump runs by electric which makes it have no water ... it's too hot to be in the house. My mom's on oxygen. So we have to sleep in the car, turn on the air conditioner and it's pretty much living in the car until we get water and stuff."
They say people are welcome to visit every day.
Sujeny Hobbs said her home is also still without water and power. She said she's grateful for the national guard and other groups helping out.
"I think Dublin and East Dublin, the community got together. That is what it is holding us," she said.
Their daily hours at East Laurens Middle are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then they resume from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The national guard will be there every day until further notice. To find other locations providing Helene relief resources, click here.