DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — As fires continue to burn in LA, a Vermilion County man is focusing on hurricane relief even four months later. 

In September, Hurricane Helene ripped across the southeast leaving people stranded and without homes. Randy Skaggs does not have any ties to the area, but when he saw the devastation online, he knew he had to help. 

He’s always been a volunteer, especially when it comes to coaching baseball and softball. Weeks ago he put down the bat and glove, knowing he had to help other communities. 

“You see these people [and] they just don’t think there’s any hope,” Skaggs said. “You still go and you can see debris high up in trees. They were finding bodies up in the trees and even infants.”

Scenes of crumbled homes and desiccated roads in North Carolina are what touched Randy Skaggs hundreds of miles away in Danville. 

Six weeks ago, he made his first trip to Morganton to help with relief efforts. 

“I loved it,” Skaggs said. “I absolutely fell in love with all the people. We were all here for the exact same reason and that’s to try and help these people.”

He’s been back twice since his first trip in November, working to rebuild not only buildings but lives. His main project has been giving people a place to call home in small, volunteer-built structures.

“When you see a lot of the people, they’re just defeated,” Skaggs said. “All these families, these babies that drowned and died, I can’t do anything about that, but I think about how can I take care of the ones that are still living.”

Beyond the tiny homes, he’s also working to rebuild structures lost in the floods. That’s getting harder as temperatures and helping hands are going down.

‘It’s getting dire here along with other places the number of volunteers is just dropping off,” Skaggs said.

Skaggs said, now more than ever, people need to come together to help those who still call the rubble and fallen structures “home.”

“Nobody is quitting,” Skaggs said. “Nobody is giving up. We all believe in these people, and we will continue to fight until they’re all back.”

Skaggs said anyone, of any ability level, can help out with relief efforts whether it’s through donations or making the trip to help alongside him. 

You can hear more from Skaggs at 217-474-7310.