[Baltimore Sun] ‘Help us help them’: Harford County brothers fill truck with donations for Helene victims
Read Time:2 Minute, 42 Second
Inspired by their father, who is deployed in North Carolina to assist with search and rescue operations following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, 10-year-old Jack and 8-year-old Nick Watkins organized a donation campaign that gathered a literal truckload of non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, diapers and more for storm victims.
“It is important to be kind and to help others,” Jack said. “Helping people makes me feel happy because some people don’t have houses.”
With the support of their mother, Kait Watkins, as well as the Norrisville Volunteer Fire Company, White Marsh Transport and Mach One Epoxy Floors, Jack and Nick were able to fill a 53-foot trailer — donated by White Marsh Transport — in a matter of days.
The brothers, who live in Pylesville, worked to unload truck beds and carloads of donations from hundreds of Harford County residents.
Between donation drop-offs, they went shopping for supplies using $1,850 in donated funds — which Nick said was his favorite part.
“We had all the money and could buy everything for people,” Nick said.
A forklift unloads the donations for Hurricane Helene victims gathered by Jack and Nick Watkins in North Carolina. (Kait Walkins/Courtesy photo)
Their father, Brandon Watkins, is the Station 17 captain with the Baltimore County Fire Department and the past chief of the Norrisville Fire Company. He is one of eight Baltimore County Fire Department members to be deployed to North Carolina roughly two weeks ago with the federal National Urban Search and Rescue Response System.
Upon learning of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene and their father’s deployment, Jack and Nick initially planned to send chainsaws to North Carolina to help their father rescue people.
After some guidance from their mother, Jack and Nick wrote a list of things they thought storm victims needed. Kait then created a Facebook post with the brothers saying “help us help them” to promote their donation campaign.
Dozens of people liked, shared and commented on the post, which raised $1,850 in monetary donations and the truckload of donated supplies.
“What literally started with an idea to collect a ‘few’ things, a washable marker and a piece of paper truly turned into so much more,” Kait said. “As a parent, I am incredibly proud of my kids for their dedication and hard work in organizing and filling the 53-foot trailer with supplies for those affected by Hurricane Helene.”
Kait documented and posted videos of the donation campaign on Facebook showing kids and adults showing up with smiles on their faces and cars full of donations.
In her final update video, Jack and Nick concluded their five-day donation campaign by latching the door of the trailer, lifting its support stands and assisting the driver, David Gernhart with White Marsh Transport, in preparing the trailer for transport to North Carolina.
“The lesson you all taught Jack and Nick about kindness and generosity will stay with them forever, but I think they may have taught us a little something too: that no act is too small to make a difference,” Kait wrote.
Got a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.
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