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For Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, starting a fund for Hurricane Florence relief with $100,000 of his own money was the easy part.

Tuesday, he saw the damage with his own eyes, and it literally hit close to home.

Peppers spent his off day helping with recovery efforts in Lumberton, which is less than a two-hour drive away from his hometown in Eastern North Carolina. And that helped him realize the scope of what happened in September.

“My home isn’t too far away from that area, and that made it real to me,” Peppers said, via Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. “It made it real to me to actually come down here and see some of the damage, some of the people who were affected by this disaster.”

Peppers’ initial donation was impressive, and has been matched by quarterback Cam Newton and other teammates are chipping in. But the damage in Eastern North Carolina is extensive, and will take years to fix. He realized that during his tour with the United Way to Robeson County, during which he had to wear protective masks to protect himself from toxic mold that has taken over many homes which were flooded.

“A lot of these people had to rip the walls out of their homes, throw out furniture and clothing, throw out everything that they had, all of their possessions thrown to the side of the road,” Peppers said. “Seeing those things, and the people telling their stories, it was an experience that I’m going to take with me and that I’m going to share with others as I encourage others to come try to help out, too. . . .

“When the storm hits, and the media coverage isn’t there anymore, those people are still there,” he said. “The problems don’t leave just because the cameras did. The after-effects where people are having to go in and do these repairs, oftentimes on their own or with the help of volunteers, it’s a tall task. . . . Some of these people are still rebuilding from the last hurricane two years ago. It’s been a tough time for all of them, and it’s going to be a process even now.”

The process will be a long one for North Carolina, and anyone who wants to help with that process can do so by clicking here.