Collection planned for Socastee flood victims

The huge success of a drive for material donations for the people in the Socastee area that are still suffering from the floods overwhelmed some of the volunteers that arranged it.

The group sent out or delivered 4,000 fliers and made phone calls asking for donations to be brought to the North Myrtle Beach Fire and Rescue Station inside Barefoot Resort and Golf last Saturday. Things started coming in on Friday. The collected a lot of furniture, appliances, clothes and most everything needed by a family.

They have no designated leaders, and nobody wanted to bring attention to themselves. But they still need more things, including washing machines, refrigerators and some free storage space, so Joe and Linda Carco agreed to lend their names and phone number for contact.

They are a “bunch of volunteers working together from their hearts for goodness,” Linda said.

The group has two storage places in Socastee—one paid for by “a generous lady” and another the group is paying half price for. But they need more space.

They are not asking for monetary donations, just material donations to help people furnish and supply their homes.

Joe and Linda said the men and women at the Fire Station have been wonderful helping them through the drive, and it is not over yet. On Tuesday, the group planned to pick up several more truckloads from donors, and planned to begin sorting clothes first in a warm garage. The Carcos said people went out and bought new pillows and other things. “A friend of ours bought a whole new set of pots,” Linda said.

“Everything was so clean and you could see people were giving from their hearts,” Linda said.

Out of all that they got, they only had to throw away one thing. “We threw away one glass because we broke it,” Joe said.

As we sometimes say in the South, getting Joe and Elaine Carco to talk about themselves was “like pulling hens’ teeth,” which is tough since a hen has no teeth.

They moved from Copingue, New York to Barefoot last year and they know what it’s like to have your home nearly-destroyed. “We went through Sandy in New York, so we know,” Joe said.

“We lived in a townhouse and that’s what saved us,” Linda said.

Joe said he watched the water rising to the top step and then it stopped. “God said, Joe, that’s enough for you. I said, boy, he’s looking out for me.”

“All around us, people lost their whole first floor,” Linda sad.

Joe and Linda said they took part in a donation drive there, also, and worked with other ones, but they have never seen the kind of response they are seeing now.

Joe and Linda can’t say enough good about the men and women at the Fire Station. Not only are they helping with this drive, but they once had to rescue Joe and Linda from an elevator.

Joe, who had a coffee truck in New York, is a Korean war veteran that just can’t bear to see people suffering.

“I saw a lot of sadness and starvation in Korea, so I don’t want to see any here. I saw enough, and I don’t want to see anymore,” he said.

To donate or for Socastee homeowners who need any kind of items, large or small, email helpsocasteefamilies@gmail.com or call 390-1648.

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Collection planned for Socastee flood victims."