CENTRAL TEXAS (KXXV) — “You know these people really need help — with the election and everything going on, I think they were kind of forgotten about I feel like,” Ashley Haisler said.
- Donated hundreds of items
- A&M Central Texas Professor affected by Hurricane Helene
- Organizations are still accepting donations
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It was a feeling Ashley Haisler, a student at A&M Central Texas, couldn’t let go — she made a deal with her boyfriend that if they traveled for the holidays to Pilot Mountain, North Carolina they had to take a truckload of donations.
Hundreds of items were donated to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
"We made boxes and put them around campus, I also had my boyfriend reach out to his chain of command,” Haisler said.
Haisler and Amanda Swayer, president of the Psi Chi club, said within one month the Student Psi Chi Club, Fort Cavazos, and local businesses collected hundreds of donations.
“Pet supplies, blankets, hygiene products,“ Haisler said.
“During that time we realized that we had an adjunct professor that works here, well virtually but she lives in Asheville, so then we were helping her directly and she was a big part of it."
Dr. Laura Greenlee and Dr. Andrea Schweiger told 25 News about their history.
Dr. Greenlee says has been a professor with A&M Central Texas since August 2019 working remotely, after the hurricane she sheltered some animals as she says the shelters are full.
“I’m doing fine — the dogs that I was keeping I enjoyed having them I knew I was helping," she said.
Dr. Greenlee praises Central Texas for not leaving her behind — she says they've been working on fostering the remote and in-person relationship.
“It was really touching that they were thinking about not just me but thinking of us in this area, and we are still amid big cleanup here," Dr. Greenlee said.
"You know it will be years until we get back to normal."
The hurricane hit in late September, but donations are still being accepted — click here for more information.
is one of the groups Ashley teamed with. They are still accepting volunteers, monetary donations, and items from their Amazon wish list.
Haisler says it’s a great feeling to give back to her community.
“Here, I learned to speak more and ask for help, and you will get it,” she said.
