Fleet of Angels Come to the Aid of Horses After Hurricane Helene
Andrea Powell
Hurricane Helene tore through six states causing widespread devastation and is now one of the deadliest storms to hit the U.S. in decades.
Recovery efforts are still underway but remain a challenge due to closed or destroyed roads and little to no power or water in rural areas.
Fleet of Angels is an award-winning nonprofit organization that helps horses in crisis. They help organize evacuation of the horses through local transporters and help get much-needed supplies to them. They also have a grant program that offers emergency funds to horse owners and small horse rescues to cover food, vet care, repairs, and vital supplies.
Many areas decimated by Helene are home to countless horses. Fleet of Angels Founder, Elaine Nash, described the dire situation that many still face. "Stores are closed - or gone. Some towns are completely gone. There are no hotels for volunteers to stay in, no drinkable water in most areas, and many people who live 'back in the hills' that cover most of several states have not yet been able to get out and don't even know that there are hundreds of people working to make enough repairs to even get to them to help."
Fleet of Angels continues to offer support to horses and are now on the ground with distribution centers in the heart of the devastation.
A recent update posted on Facebook shared that volunteers are planning to, "load goods from the distribution center and make home deliveries to area horse owners, door to door, trying to be sure that every horse has food to eat."
This life-saving work is possible thanks to hay/grain suppliers, volunteers, other rescue organizations and donations. Nash, shared with supporters how donated funds are used to help horses.
"As far as we know, we are the only organization in the country who provides grant funds to both individuals who own horses and to small horse rescues.
"We do work to help early donors of hay and supplies coordinate transport to hard-hit areas, but we also focus on 'the long game' and will be helping horse owners across the six states hit hardest by Hurricane Helene for months, not days or weeks. We are known for being the organization that's still helping horses in crisis with our hay banks still distributing feed and goods up to a year after other orgs have moved on to to 'the next big thing'."
They ask people to be kind and patient as they receive hundreds of emails a day to help. Anyone who would like to volunteer is asked to "please send an email to EmergencyResponse@FleetOfAngels.org with a note about what you would like to offer, your schedule, your location, and your contact information."
People who are looking to donate food or supplies are asked to Go to www.NationalEquineEmergencyDirectory.com and register the offer so it will be listed in their database.
The Animal Rescue Site and Greater Good Charities are helping people and pets impacted by Helene by providing essential supplies and emergency medical care. Donate now to help those in need.
More help is needed...
As Hurricane Milton, currently projected to be a Category 5 storm, heads towards Florida's west coast, immediate horse evacuations are needed. Fleet of Angels posted a plea for help from transporters to help get horses out of the area.
Learn more here.
