GREENSBORO, N.C. — Students at Southern Guilford High School are learning an important lesson this week — how to give back in times of crisis.
Their teacher, a former paramedic and firefighter, has been on both sides of disaster, serving as both the rescuer and the one in need of rescue.
Briton Wertz responded to fires in western North Carolina — which has suffered widespread devastation from Hurricane Helene — back in 2017. Then, in 2018, she and her kids lost everything in Hurricane Florence.
While sharing the story of her ordeal with her students, they were inspired to start a supply drive for victims of Helene in western North Carolina.
"It took my students understanding from a level of 'this is happening to people' to 'this happened to the chief,'" Wertz told WFMY News 2. "And my students were like what can we do? And I was like, "donations.'"
Wertz teaches Emergency Management Training (EMT) and Public Safety classes at Southern Guilford.
The Southern Guilford supply drive will start Thursday and run through Oct. 9.
If you have been affected by Helene, here's a list of helpful resources.
Looking for ways to support residents of western North Carolina affected by Helene? We've compiled a list of reputable organizations who are already delivering aid, and you can find it here.
If you would like to donate online to the American Red Cross, you can use the following link: WFMY News 2 is supporting the American Red Cross.
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