By CLARA CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

There’s hardly a time when someone doesn’t need something from the local chapter of American Red Cross (ARC).

In the midst of making sure that victims of last Thursday’s Riegelwood tornado were getting what they needed, ARC Executive Director JoAn Rhodes had to stop Friday to help someone whose home had burned.

Helping families who have home fires is an ongoing project for the Red Cross, especially during winter months when heating is needed. The local Red Cross chapter answered the call to help fire victims the two previous weekends.

Red Cross volunteers are coordinating with Columbus Baptist Association to provide meals for tornado victims at Riegelwood Baptist Church.

“We thank all the people who are offering to help, but we need money, too,” Rhodes said. “It takes money to move these people around.”

She said people could help by sending donations to the ARC Disaster Relief Fund, 704 North Thompson Street, Whiteville, N.C. 28472. If donors want their money designated for the tornado fund, they should write that on their checks.

“We had just mailed fundraising letters in hopes of boosting the Disaster Relief Fund, and now we have the tornado disaster relief,” Rhodes said.

Baptist Church is ARC service site

The American Red Cross has opened a service delivery site at the Riegelwood First Baptist Church on N.C. 87 east in Riegelwood to serve victims of last Thursday’s tornado. The hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Tuesday, Nov. 21.

Each individual or family will have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a trained American Red Cross client caseworker. Those requesting assistance should bring some form of identification confirming their pre-disaster address.

Disaster victims who are unable to visit the Red Cross service delivery site may also use a special phone number to request assistance. That number, which is limited to families requiring Red Cross disaster assistance, is (910)547-3342 and will be operational until Sunday, Dec. 3.

American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. Anyone can help victims of the Riegelwood tornado or other disasters across the country by making financial gifts to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. These donations enable the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to disaster victims.

Contributions may be sent to Columbus County’s ARC Disaster Relief Fund, 704 North Thompson Street, Whiteville, N.C. 28472. Donations may be designated for a certain disaster, such as the Riegelwood tornado, by writing it on your checks.

Tornado relief
funds established

Several organizations have started disaster relief funds for victims of last Thursday’s tornado at Riegelwood.

Riegelwood Federal Credit Union (RFCU) has established a disaster relief account to benefit victims of the tornado that killed eight people and injured many others.

“We are here to serve our members during this terrible time,” Williams remarked. She added that members were stopping by to withdraw spending money, since parts of the county were without power.

Riegelwood FCU has 7,000 members and $66 million in assets. The town’s largest employer is International Paper, which the credit union holds as one of its primary employee groups. Williams estimates that 90 percent of the residents of Riegelwood are members of the credit union.

“We know that at least two of the fatalities are members of the credit union,” Williams said.

The credit union has established the account to benefit people who had homes and property damaged in the storm. Contributions to the account should be mailed to RFCU Disaster Relief Account, Attn: Kelly Bordeaux, P.O. Box 508, Riegelwood, NC 28456

For more information contact Kelly Bordeaux at 910 655-2274, ext. 13.

The Columbus County Community Foundation is accepting donations toward the Riegelwood relief effort. Tax-deductible gifts may be sent to Columbus County Community Foundation, Inc., Attn: Riegelwood Relief, P.O. Box 294, Whiteville, N.C. 28472. Gifts will be held in the foundation’s general fund pending distribution to relief agencies dealing with the disaster, noted Beth Jenkins, regional associate for the Foundation.

The Columbus County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF), established to help support local charitable needs through annual grants. For more information contact Jenkins at 910-815-2677 or 877-815-2617 (toll free), or visit nccommunityfoundation.org.

Donations may also be sent to the following:

Riegelwood Baptist Church, 103 Hwy. 87, Riegelwood, N.C. 28456.

American Red Cross, 704 N. Thompson Street, Whiteville, N.C. 28472.

Salvation Army, P.O. Box 90, Wilmington, N.C. 28402-0090.

Wesley United Methodist Church, c/o BB&T, P.O. Box 116, Riegelwood, N.C. 28456
Community Foundation of Southeastern North Carolina, P.O. Box 119, Wilmington, N.C. 28402-0119.

For information call 910-448-1586, 1-888-9966, or visit www.communityfoundationsenc.org.