Long Islanders rally to help hurricane victims in North Carolina and Florida

LONG ISLAND - In the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and the impending Milton, two Long Island organizations are stepping up to provide relief to communities in need. 

For Massapequa resident Sue Piccolo, this effort is personal.

"I’m known as the hurricane queen," said the 67-year-old, who was inspired by the outpouring of donations that flooded into the Massapequa Lions Club after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Since then, Piccolo has made it her mission to help those affected by natural disasters across the country.

"When there’s a need, there’s a lion," Piccolo said. The Lions Club has shipped over ten tons of nonperishable goods and other supplies to help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Texas in 2017. Now, they are packing pallets to send aid to North Carolina, where residents are grappling with the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene.

As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, the Lions are preparing to assist there as well. They plan to leave for western North Carolina early Friday morning and return over the weekend, at which point they’ll focus their efforts on Florida.

In addition to the Lions Club, the Bay Shore-based grassroots organization, Jibaritos with Troops, is also mobilizing for disaster relief. The group, which shipped over a million pounds of supplies to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017, is now accepting donations for Florida residents.

"We’re here collecting, whatever it takes," said Jose Gonzalez, co-founder of Jibaritos with Troops. "We’ll be here all night to do whatever we have to in order to help our brothers and sisters in Florida."

Both organizations are calling for donations from the community as they prepare to assist hurricane-stricken regions.