Long Island businesses collecting donations for California fire victims
BABYLON, N.Y. — Long Island is coming together for Los Angeles with donation drives focused on getting new items to the thousands impacted by the California fires.
Organizers of each effort say monetary donations help tremendously with shipping or delivering the items, but even if you can't donate, just spreading the word makes a big difference.
Babylon businesses collecting everyday essentials to donate
Joseph DeBello is collecting everyday essentials at his Babylon businesses, Hitch and BesTea, to send to those who lost everything in the wildfires. Specifically, he's collecting new, not used, items.
"They don't have the manpower to clean any of the used items," he said. "It's something they can open up and use right away."
The community effort, in collaboration with the Babylon Rotary Club and other local businesses, hits home for DeBello.
"I was involved in Hurricane Sandy ... When you experience something firsthand, you just want give back," he said.
Greenvale store collecting new children's clothing to send to California fire victims
Christina Connelly announced on social media her Greenvale store, Tutti, is collecting new children's clothing donations.
"It's been overwhelming. Everybody's been coming by, dropping off new items, buying things to donate," he said.
The items she collects will be sent to the three California children's clothing companies which launched this effort: Mini Dreamers, Cala Kids and Meant 2 Be Kids.
"Each of us know a handful of people that have been personally affected," Mini Dreamers owner Melody Nabati said.
"Customers, family, friends that lost everything," Meant 2 Be Kids owner Nicole Nabati said.
"And I feel like it's the least we can do," Melody Nabati said.
The business owners created a sign-up for families to request free packages with the new clothing and have already gotten 600 responses.
"As a mom, like, I can't like... I can't imagine what they're going through, these families with nothing, nothing left. So it's like the small little thing that we can do," Nicole Nabati said.
"So that they know that we're thinking of them. And we're sending them a lot of love," Melody Nabati said.