HICKORY, N.C. — Dozens of volunteers gathered in Hickory Sunday to put together Halloween treat bags for kids impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Laci LeBlanc helps organize "Love is a Verb," the group that put together the bags, which will be sent to the nonprofit "BeLoved Asheville."
"Our first post about Helene was sometimes the love is waiting," LeBlanc said. "There are so many people and organizations who stepped in immediately, and one of the things we don't love to do is duplicate efforts."
BeLoved Asheville will distribute these treat bags to the families who were most impacted by the storm. Each comes with candy, a sticker sheet, and a choice of costume: cat, princess, pirate, or superhero.
"Kids also need the space to still be kids," said Catie Kale. "In the midst of everything else, sometimes a Halloween costume might be last on the list of things that people would think they might need."
Kale is a volunteer, but also a counselor with Catawba County Schools. She's seen firsthand how important a sense of normalcy is for kids after a tragedy.
"It's so important for kids, especially kids who have experienced great loss, to have the normal things that they're used to," said Kale. "We think of this as being a once-in-a-lifetime event, but when you think about their short little lives, it is even more impactful than what we would think of in our lives."
Both encourage everyone to donate directly to BeLoved Asheville. In addition to monetary donations, the nonprofit has a list of current needs that includes supplies for camping, cleaning, and building.