As the clean up continues from Friday’s EF3 tornado, nonprofits have moved in to try and help with recovery efforts.

During lunch Tuesday, the Salvation Army was out delivering food in their mobile cantina on Whichards Beach Road in Chocowinity.

The Salvation Army, with the help of the Red Cross was handing out 500 lunches and dinners to volunteers and storm victims. Tuesday’s lunch was provided by Down on Main Street.

“We are just trying to support the community in a tough time because we have been here for nine years and the community has supported us, so we just want to help out and we just feel bad for the people who have lost everything,” said Gina Weatherington, owner of Down on Main Street.

Saturday was the first day of the Salvation Army’s efforts to feed those people in need.

“A meal is something small to us, but to them (victims) and what they are going through, some have forgotten to eat,” said Chip Laughinhouse, a Salvation Army spokesman. “It is something they appreciate and that is one of the small things in life they don’t have time to worry about right now.”

One of the Salvation Army’s goals during this disaster is to give a word of encouragement or a prayer for the victims.

“We started Saturday at lunch with meals and have handed out about a 1,000 meals a day,” said Lt. Bruce Rabon Jr., of the Salvation Army. “Between us and the Red Cross taking them out, we’ve been feeding about a 1,000 a day.”

According to Rabon, Whichards Beach Road was one of the areas hit hardest by the tornado.

“We worked the tornado two weeks ago in Pantego, but this is a lot more devastation than what we saw down there,” Rabon said.

The Salvation Army will not leave the area as long as there are people without a home and volunteers on the ground, according to Rabon.

The North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church is also lending a hand in Beaufort County with its disaster response team. Cliff Harvell, a disaster response superintendent, immediately began coordinating efforts to assist in the clean up on Friday night.

Harvell has had volunteers from Georgia and people from central North Carolina in the area. According to Harvell, they had between 50 to 60 people volunteering Monday.

“Once we got here and started meeting with the other groups that were here, we decided that the thing for us to do would take the south side of the river,” Harvell said. “We have been trying to tarp roofs, cuts trees and help those folks on the south side of the river.”

Harvell’s volunteers have also helped storm victims save their personal property, along with packing and moving.

To volunteer with Harvell’s group, interested people can call 1-888-440-9167 to schedule a time.