NORWICH – After narrowly avoiding the brunt of Hurricane Sandy, Chenango County residents might be looking for ways to help with relief efforts, both locally and for the East Coast that was ravaged by flood and fire. Several county figures are stepping in to guide those looking to lend a helping hand now that the storm has passed.

To help those most impacted by the devastating storm, county emergency officials are advising locals to veer away from donating physical items and instead, donate money to appropriate emergency management agencies like the Salvation Army or the Red Cross to help fund relief efforts.

“We all see the devastation in other areas and we want to help. As a result, kindhearted people begin organizing donation drives for food, clothing and other items,” explained City of Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Wesley Jones in a letter sent yesterday to area businesses and non-profit administrators. “I can tell you from experience that in disaster after disaster, there just isn’t the ability to deliver these types of goods directly into the hands of those who need them,” the letter stated.