Hurricane Relief: How to Help Those Who Need Allergy-Safe Food

By:
in Food Allergy News, Managing Allergies
Published: October 7, 2024

Updated Oct. 18, 2024 – The food allergy community is rising up to help residents impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Nonprofit groups are leading the efforts to ensure allergy-friendly food and allergy medication is delivered to hard-hit Western North Carolina and Florida.

“The allergy community is a tight-knit one, even if spread out across the country,” PAK (Parents of Allergic Kids) Charlotte president Randi Eccleston tells Allergic Living. “The community immediately sprang into action to help.”

After making landfall in Florida on September 26, Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast, leaving a 500-mile swath of destruction across six states. Then, on October 9, Hurricane Milton made landfall south of Tampa, Florida. The hurricane left about 3 million Florida residents without power, after whipping across the state, producing deadly tornadoes along the way.

Western North Carolina was particularly ravaged by Hurricane Helene. There, the deluge and devastation was described as “biblical.” Flooded, impassable roads have stranded many residents in the area. A lack of power and cellular service has added to the difficulty of the storm’s aftermath.

The isolation and lack of resources can be especially difficult for families who depend on allergy-friendly and gluten-free food. Critical as well is access to epinephrine, asthma inhalers and other medicines.

In North Carolina, there is also elevated concern about allergic reactions to stinging insects. There are reports of yellow jackets and bees swarming and stinging after flooding disrupted their underground nests.

“Everyone in the allergy community can clearly imagine how terrified we would be if this happened to us,” says Eccleston. PAK Charlotte is among the groups organizing donations.

Allergic Living compiled the following information about donations of allergy-friendly food and epinephrine devices for those wishing to provide much-needed supplies to areas impacted by both hurricanes.

Disaster Issue: Finding Allergy-Safe Food

Food donations to hurricane relief drives often lack allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods, especially because these tend to be more expensive, says Wendy Gordon Pake of the nonprofit FOODiversity.

food bank donations
Photo: Getty Food banks: taking allergy-friendly food donations.

In addition, people working hard to provide disaster relief often don’t know where to access help for the food allergy community, says Gordon Pake, FOODiversity’s founder and executive director. So, “the immediate needs of those with food allergies might be overlooked in disaster relief food access plans,” she notes.

FOODiversity, based in Mooresville, North Carolina, is coordinating allergy-friendly donations. The nonprofit works with food pantries, schools and doctors to ensure people with food allergies, celiac disease and intolerances have access to safe food.

Hurricane Helene Relief: Donating Food

There are various ways to help donate allergy-friendly and gluten-free food. They include:

FOODiversity. See the group’s Facebook page for QR codes to donate to the MANNA Food Bank or to access an Amazon wishlist. The organization will continue to provide updates about where there are needs.

FOODiversity is working with a school district in Boone, NC, that is providing free childcare with breakfast, lunch and snacks. The nonprofit created a list of allergy-friendly snacks and meal items to be donated. The school can plan for students with dietary restrictions based on the list of items.

The organization also partners with MANNA Food Bank in Asheville. A member of Feeding America, MANNA serves food pantries, care centers for seniors and children, and more in 16 state counties.

PAK Charlotte. Partnered with the Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone to create an Amazon wishlist for donations to be shipped to Boone. The Alliance Bible Fellowship is the delivery point for Amazon wishlist donations, where those in need can go to pick up items.

The PAK leadership team (Eccleston, Nikki Nelson and Stephanie Insley) is updating the quantities as items run low, and adding items suggested by individuals in the food allergy community. The PAK leadership team has been told that allergy-friendly infant formula is a priority need.

Food Allergy Families of the Triad is partnering with Well Balanced Nutrition to help residents with food allergies or other dietary restrictions find sources for safe food. Email [email protected] for assistance.

Hurricane Milton Relief in Tampa Bay

When Hurricane Milton hit Florida, many residents were still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, including widespread flooding. The powerful winds of Hurricane Milton followed, leaving millions without power. So many days without electricity means many food allergy families have lost their food supply and have no way to cook. So, finding safe food is paramount.

The Tampa Food Allergy Support and Education nonprofit group has been working hard to help feed food-allergic residents in the hard-hit Tampa Bay area.

Tampa support group leader Tara Giese (r) and volunteers package up donated food.

A single mom’s situation is an example of what Tampa Bay is dealing with, the food allergy support group’s president Tara Geise tells Allergic Living. The mom’s daughter is allergic to wheat and coconut. The family lost their car in the flooding from Hurricane Helene and, because of the power outages from both storms, they have had to throw out all their food twice.

Geise’s group is helping ensure that family, and many others in the region are getting food. The group is partnering with several organizations to distribute the donations.

For example, HaleLife Bakery has been providing allergy-friendly meals from the location in St. Petersburg. The gluten-free, vegan and allergy-friendly bakery and bistro suffered damage at two of its three locations in Hurricane Milton. Donations make it possible for the bakery to provide free meals.

Here’s how to help:
Tampa Food Allergy Support and Education. Hurricane donations can be made through an Amazon wishlist, or monetary donations can be made on its website.
HaleLife Bakery. Make monetary donations on its website to help provide free allergy-friendly meals.

Other groups working with Tampa Food Allergy Support and Education include:
End 68 hours of Hunger Tampa: The Tampa food allergy support group is providing food and helping pack bags with the nonprofit for school children in need.
Feast Food Pantry, Pinellas County
Metropolitan Ministries
Feeding Tampa Bay

Donating Across the South

To donate to food banks in states hit hard by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, the nonprofit FAACT (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team) notes the following.

North Carolina:
MANNA Food Bank
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
Feeding the Carolinas
Hearts with Hands

South Carolina:
Feeding the Carolinas
Lowcountry Food Bank

Georgia:
FeedingGeorgia
Second Harvest of South Georgia

Florida:
Mercy Chefs
FeedingSouthFlorida
World Central Kitchen
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

Epinephrine Donations

Lifesaving medication is crucial for residents who might have limited access to emergency care in the aftermath of the Hurricane Helene. In addition, the swarming stinging insects issue increases the risk for severe allergic reactions, especially among highway and utility workers.

Organizations, along with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, are working to help meet the increased demand for epinephrine auto-injectors and antihistamines.

Some of the epinephrine donations include:

Direct Relief. The humanitarian aid group is sending epinephrine auto-injectors to Western North Carolina. Device maker Kaléo says it quickly donated 2,000 AUVI-Q auto-injectors to the effort.

United Way of North Carolina. ARS Pharmaceuticals is donating 1,700 neffy epinephrine nasal spray devices (two per pack) for the United Way of North Carolina to distribute. Anyone who needs neffy devices can contact United Way North Carolina directly on their website.

FOODiversity’s Gordon Pake has already heard from people happy to learn of the neffy epinephrine donation. For example, a pharmacist in the Lake Lure area shared on Facebook that the devices are “much needed”. Another resident with a family member in the North Carolina State Highway Patrol quickly reached out about accessing the sprayers for the highway patrol, she says.

Members of the food allergy community are also taking initiative. For example, Val Murphy, who’s in the Facebook group NC FACES, is gathering epinephrine auto-injectors in the Cary area to deliver to Western North Carolina. That group’s members donated more than 200 devices in the first delivery. Murphy is working with Day One Relief to donate the medication.

Hurricane Relief: Ongoing Needs

As the communities in Western North Carolina try to rebuild, the needs for allergy-friendly and gluten-free food and medications will continue. The organizations coordinating donation efforts will get the word out about the greatest needs as the situation develops.

So far, the generosity of the food allergy community has been evident. For example, about 3,000 items have been sent from the Amazon wishlist set up by PAK Charlotte. The items are being purchased from across the country – then are sent directly to the drop site in Boone.

The best way for readers to help is to find reputable organizations who are asking for food donations, then donate allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods, the advocates say.

FOODiversity’s Gordon Pake also notes the resiliency of the workers at the MANNA Food Bank. They lost their facility in the Hurricane Helene, “but that hasn’t stopped them from finding ways to serve.”

Since FOODiversity began asking for donations to MANNA, about $6,000 (1,100 pounds) of food items, food wrap and storage items, and wipes have been sent to a business in Statesville. To support FOODiversity’s efforts, this business also donated its truck and drivers to deliver the items to MANNA’s temporary distribution site.

MANNA food bank gave an enthusiastic response to Gordon Pake’s initial inquiry about the need for allergy-friendly food. She cites their response: “Having food options for our neighbors that have allergies or food sensitivities is a great way to show care for our community.”

The first FOODiversity shipment of donated food items for the school district in Boone arrived October 8 with about $1,800 (304 pounds) of food.

“Because of Hurricane Helene, more people are food insecure, and FOODiversity is hopeful that our relationships with the schools, clinicians, and food pantries will make it easier for people to find the assistance they need,” Gordon Pake says.

Related Reading:
Emergency Planning with Allergies, Asthma, Celiac Disease

Top photo: The L. Gordon Iron and Metal Co. is receiving allergy-friendly foods shipments, then delivering to MANNA food bank in Asheville, NC. Photo: FOODiversity