In November 2019, the Board of Governors, feeling that EAMC was in a blessed position financially, unanimously approved disbursement of unallocated funds up to $120,000 for Hurricane Florence recovery efforts in our area. Western Pender County was particularly hard hit. The Benevolence committee with input from the Board of Governors and chapel affiliates recently allocated all of the monies and distributed checks to the following recipients:
EAMC’s Local Missions committee was allocated $25,000 for extensive repairs to a grandmother’s home, where she’s raising two granddaughters by herself. EAMC affiliates are repairing the roof, painting, and installing drywall, flooring and fixtures, among other tasks.
Checks in varying amounts were hand delivered to five Pender County churches that were all heavily damaged by Hurricane Florence:
- Sandhill AME Church, Burgaw
- Mt. Rena Missionary Baptist Church, Rocky Point
- Sharon Baptist Church, Chinquapin
- Hallsville Presbyterian Church, Beulaville
- North East Pentecostal Freewill Baptist, Wallace
Our goal is to help these congregations get back in their sanctuaries to celebrate worship and enjoy fellowship together as soon as possible. John Hauser, co-chair of EAMC’s Benevolence Committee has received several thank you letters from recipients who were overwhelmed by the financial assistance.
A contribution was made to the North Carolina Baptist Men’s Association Disaster Relief Team. They have been heavily involved in recovery efforts in the wake of both Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Matthew (2016).
Based upon recommendations from several affiliates, the chapel also distributed funds to some local families that needed help with home repairs.
Additional monies contributed by affiliates or others that are specifically earmarked for hurricane recovery will continue to be disbursed with input from the Benevolence Committee, Board of Governors, and affiliates.
If you’d like to contribute to hurricane recovery efforts in our area, we welcome your donation. You can mail a check earmarked for Hurricane Florence Disaster Relief to EAMC, PO Box 3071, Topsail Beach, NC 28445. Thank you for your generosity and compassion!