KENTUCKY, USA — People with friends and family in Kentucky are organizing donation drives to collect supplies and help the communities devastated by recent floods in the area.
"That's home. That's where I grew up. Those people are my people,” said Matt Tuttle, who helped organize a donation drive.
"It's where I went to high school, where I went to college. My mom still lives there,” said Lisa Bremer, who also helped organize a donation drive.
They are both from Kentucky. For them, the catastrophic flooding in Kentucky this week hits hard.
"I've got family members who have lost family members," one of them said.
They both said they want their families and friends in Kentucky to know they are not alone. Bremer is a teacher at Alcoa Middle school and is hosting a drive with Alcoa City Schools. Tuttle has the support of TC Performance Horses in Corryton.
"I know those people, they appreciate everything," they said. "It was a large area that was hit, it was a poor area that was hit."
Tuttle and Bremer said they need new or gently used clothes, bottled water for drinking and bathing, toiletries, toothpaste and many other items. They said the list goes on. The top item they said they need is cleaning supplies.
Other Tennesseans in the Volunteer State are stepping up too. Mission of Hope in Knoxville drove up to Kentucky on Wednesday to drop off relief supplies. Earlier in the week, The Hill Church collected items for survivors.
Even after the devastation, Bremer said that he still has faith in a brighter future.
"They're going to come back stronger than ever," he said.
Anyone who wants to help communities impacted by the flooding recover can donate online through trusted organizations.