JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)—As the region continues to heal from Hurricane Helene, a local pharmacy has found a way to help communities in need through its operation, “Appalachians Uniting Appalachia: Watch Us Rise.”
Mooney’s Pharmacy, located in Johnson City, collects donations for surrounding communities recovering from Helene. Chris Lopez, owner of Mooney’s, said the idea came from a simple conversation.
“My wife and I were watching our three wonderful children play,” said Lopez. “And we looked at each other, [and] we realized how many children have lost everything, maybe even their parents and don’t even have a toy to distract them.”
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Following this conversation, Lopez sent a message to employees organizing the toy drive. But the donations didn’t stop there.
“The very next day, we were contacted about making this donatable pharmacy by ETSU College of Pharmacy,” said Lopez. “They asked if they could house it here. And I said, ‘Absolutely, that’s no problem.”