GORDON, Neb. - Three weeks after Hurricane Helene ravaged the East Coast, thousands remain without power, and the devastation is something two men from Gordon, Nebraska, couldn’t overlook—despite being 1,500 miles away.

“I always put myself in the position of the other people,” said Casey Walton.

“We’re in a very dry county right now, and I know we’ve had some fires and disasters here, but we still have everything. We have a home, livestock, and tools,” said Gary Ruse.

Feeling compelled to act, Ruse and Walton began accepting donations for hurricane victims on Monday.

“Some of the people where we’re going to send this have nothing,” said Ruse.

Among the items they're collecting - cleaning supplies, warm clothes, non-perishable food, toiletries and livestock feed.

“The elevators got destroyed. The feed stores got destroyed. We have grain and hay that we’re sending down at their request,” said Ruse.

While some donations are local, others are coming from across the state and even the nation.

“This pallet of water was donated by Aaron Cohn from San Diego. He is the owner of Super Foods," said Ruse.

Donations can be dropped off at the former Gordon Auto Sales building at 2044 US Highway 20, or financial contributions can be made through the Carolina Hurricane Fund at First National Bank in Gordon.

“The stuff we would like to have now is warm clothing—anything that will produce heat without electricity,” said Walton.

Organizers estimate they’ve filled about half of a 53-foot trailer so far and aim to fill the entire trailer by Sunday.

“One thing I also would like to stress is my nephew and the cousin to our minister in town are going to accept the load. They have a warehouse to put it in. They are in charge of the distribution. It’s not going to be anyone else. We know who they are,” said Walton.

An effort that demonstrates what it means to be Nebraska Nice, even from more than a thousand miles away

“The burning desire for us is to help others in need,” said Ruse.