Providence Journal photo / John Freidah
Volunteer Megan Frayne of Mystic, Conn. helps clean up behind a home on Winnapaug Road on Nov. 4 in Westerly.
The sting of Hurricane Sandy may be fading for most Rhode Islanders, but helpers from the state's volunteer center remain hard at work, cleaning up from the disaster in Westerly.
A total of 148 volunteers furnished by Serve Rhode Island were in the Misquamicut section of Westerly Sunday with rakes and shovels. On Saturday, there were 221.
"Every business and every house within 300 yards to 400 yards of the ocean was loaded with sand," said Bernie Beaudreau, Serve Rhode Island executive director.
Heavy equipment took care of the sand-covered roads, and now there are huge piles of debris, including sand, wood, metal and large objects such as household appliances that need to be picked through for recycling, he said.
"A lot of the immediate clean-out needs of residents has been attended to," he said, so the accumulation of debris is drawing attention now.
Volunteers can sign up through ServeRhodeIsland.org. Donations can be made through the website or by mail to: Serve Rhode Island, Suite 202, 655 Broad St., Providence, R.I. 02907.
--An earlier version of this report was initially posted at 2:32 p.m. and was updated at 3:30 p.m. to reflect the final count of volunteers