Melaleuca provides cash and emergency supplies for Hurricane Helene victims
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IDAHO FALLS – Melaleuca is providing food and other resources to thousands of displaced families in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
This week, the Idaho Falls company provided care packages with food, Riverbend Ranch Black Label Beef, hygiene kits and other items to the hardest-hit regions surrounding Newport, Tennessee, Asheville, North Carolina, Valdosta, Georgia, Augusta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida.
Melaleuca is working with churches in those areas, food pantries and other organizations to ship and deliver the items to those in need Saturday. Many of the ports and traditional ways of shipping emergency supplies have been wiped out, so volunteers are getting creative, shipping items via helicopter, lifted truck, ATV, dirt bike, horse, mule and even kayak.
The Melaleuca Foundation is also providing cash to area food banks.
Volunteers at a food bank in Tampa Bay were surprised to get a $25,000 donation from Melaleuca earlier this week supporting hurricane relief efforts.
“Your company is not even local. From across our country, an organization that was not directly impacted by Helene made a significant donation to support our efforts to help our region during this challenging time. What a gift! Thank you from the bottom of our empty bowls,” the food bank says in a Facebook post from Melaleuca.
Melaleuca is working with local leaders and community partners to continue to assess needs and provide assistance.
Melaleuca spokesman Tony Lima says they’re “grateful to be in a position to provide relief, supplies and a little hope” to communities and families who are affected.
“It’s inspiring to see Melaleuca putting our mission of enhancing lives into action across the southeastern states impacted by Hurricane Helene. While Melaleuca has a track record of running to the rescue in times of catastrophe, the massive scale and scope of this storm and our disaster response has been different than others,” Lima writes in an email to EastIdahoNews.com. “Playing a small part in the recovery allows us to experience the joy of doing good where good is needed.”