In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, a conglomeration of residents, churches and businesses in both Gloucester and Mathews has banded together to get much-needed supplies to the hardest hit areas of North Carolina.

Collections were underway through Wednesday of this week and will continue into the weekend as volunteers look to fill a large box truck with essentials.

Sabrina Wikle, one of the people spearheading the collection efforts, along with volunteers from Living Waters Church in Dutton station themselves in the parking lot of Gloucester’s Walmart in the hopes that people will make donations after they finish shopping.

“The need is just so widespread,” said Wikle. 

Approximately 287,000 people in North Carolina remain without power as of Wednesday and many areas saw over 20 inches of rain in addition to swelling rivers and a wicked storm surge that carried boats a quarter mile inland.

The group is collecting nonperishable food, canned fruit, hygiene ...