Clarendon County Sheriff's Office Administrative Assistant Georgette Murray remembers very well all the support that came in last year when South Carolina was devastated by more than 20 inches of rain in the span of one day.
Now, she and several others are joining together to "pay it forward" to the victims of flooding in Louisiana.
"All I can say is, 'We are our brother's keeper,'" said Murray. "We've had people help us over the years; now it's our turn to return the favor."
Murray has joined Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ericka Sexton Floyd in asking Clarendon residents to provide flood relief for victims in Baton Rouge.
"We know some of what they're feeling but they've been affected a whole lot worse than we have," said Floyd. "We need to be able to reach out and hopefully give them that hope that there is a future."
Together, Floyd and Murray created the Pay It Forward flood drive.
Retired Col. Alex Conyers and Manning City Councilman Clayton Pack will make the 10-hour drive to Louisiana to present the supplies to an elementary school destroyed by flood waters.
They are asking for donations of "any items," no matter how simple.
"We definitely need school supplies, things like pencils, paper and book bags," Murray said. "Think of things that Pre-K through fifth-graders would need."
Floyd has challenged teachers in the county to each donate one book from their own classroom libraries to help the school rebuild its own.
"Even just coloring books stickers for the younger ones that can't go to school just to keep them occupied," Floyd said. "This is something that keeps their minds off the devastation that they are seeing their parents go through."
Floyd said donations may be dropped off at the chamber through Sept. 9.
