Local Efforts Support Hurricane Relief

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People from all over the country are responding to pleas for help from western North Carolina as relief efforts continue in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Crews continue to work to restore power, clear roads of mud, fallen trees and debris and take care of so many whose homes have been rendered uninhabitable.

Residents of Henderson and Vance County are stepping up to the plate to fill trucks and trailers with cleaning supplies, drinking water, food and more, which is being delivered to hard-hit areas to our west.

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce has passed along information from state officials that bears repeating as relief efforts continue.

NCDOT has declared all roads in western North Carolina “closed to non-emergency vehicles,” so it’s important to coordinate plans with state agencies like Emergency Management and Business Emergency Operations Center.

“Do not self-deploy resources or supply logistics unless you are attached to an existing NCVOAD organization. Until further notice, roads in Western NC (generally anywhere west of Hickory, NC) are closed to all traffic other than emergency services and pre-approved shipments coordinated through the BEOC,” according to information sent from the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce.

Get updates at  https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/emergency-management.

In the meantime, here’s a list of donation drop-off centers in Henderson and Vance County that the Chamber provided, along with times that donations will be accepted:

  • Rebuilding Hope, Inc. 414 Raleigh Rd. – weekdays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • City of Henderson – City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. weekdays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Henderson Police Department, corner of Breckenridge and Chestnut streets
  • Henderson Fruit & Produce, 1215 Old Norlina Rd. – during business hours
  • Mast Family Drug Center, 418 Dabney Dr. – during business hours
  • Zeb Vance Elementary, 4800 Raleigh Rd., Kittrell, Oct. 1-4
  • Vance Charter School, 2090 Ross Mill Rd., Oct. 1-4
  • Aycock Elementary, 305 Carey Chapel Rd., Oct. 1-4
  • Fred’s Towing & Transport, 340 Industry Dr., Oct. 1-4
  • Chick-fil-A – go to Chick-fil-A app and donate. Chick-fil-A is partnering with the American Red Cross. Every dollar that’s donated will be matched up to $500,000.

Here’s a list of needed items at this time:

  • non-perishable food
  • bottled water
  • toiletries
  • pillows and blankets
  • paper products/plastic forks and spoons
  • hand sanitizer/personal hygiene products
  • wet wipes/baby wipes
  • diapers – kids and adults
  • Clorox wipes/cleaning supplies
  • large trash bags/zip lock bags
  • work gloves
  • flashlights and batteries
  • first aid supplies
  • travel size shampoo, body wash and deodorant
  • manual can openers
  • baby formula
  • bug spray
  • cat and dog food
  • laundry detergent
Perry Memorial Library

TownTalk: Perry Memorial Library Events Going on in October

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Ask Perry Memorial Library’s Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters what her favorite time of year is, and you’ll get an energetic, enthusiastic “Fall!” every time.

Peters is pulling out all the stops for events and programs for October, from tried-and-true favorites to new activities designed for on-the-go families.

This Friday, the library will begin its “First Fridays STEM Club” geared for preschoolers. The half-hour program runs from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the theme is Sounds. Participants will make egg shakers using rice, and they’ll make a kazoo with cardboard tubes, wax paper and a rubber band.

She’ll do a repeat of that program later in the day for homeschool groups and families to take part in. That session will begin at 1 p.m., she said. Adding a session for homeschool groups is just another way the library is helping to meet the needs of the community, Peters noted.

Now in her third year as Youth Services Librarian, Peters said she often hears that busy families simply can’t make it to daytime programs at the library.

So, she’s planning an evening Pajama Story Time for Tuesday, Oct. 8 to accommodate those folks. The story time, which lasts about 30 minutes, begins at 6:30 p.m.

“It’s been offered in the past, but this is the first time I’ve offered it,” Peters said.

The library will host a fall festival again this year, and Peters said participation has grown over the course of her time with the library. Families are invited to take part in all the carnival-style games – there will be something for everyone, she said. The festival will be on Tuesday, Oct. 22 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

And stick around from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., because they’re planning a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot for kids to experience on their way from the festival back to their cars.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn more.

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TownTalk: Make A Joyful Noise ACTS Benefit Concert

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The fourth annual concert to benefit ACTS will take place Saturday, Oct. 12 at McGregor Hall in Henderson and will feature musical performances by area groups and and churches.

The doors open at 6 p.m. for the “Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord” event. The concert begins at 7 p.m. and all proceeds will go to ACTS, Henderson’s food pantry and soup kitchen, said ACTS Board Member Linda Weaver.

A partial list of those performing include God’s Men of Harmony, First Baptist Church of Henderson, Rep. Frank Sossamon, Clearview Worship Team, Evelyn Couch and Tracy Dalton, one of three paid ACTS staff members, Weaver said.

Tickets are $5 and are available now from board members and at the ACTS facility, located at 201 S. William St.

Tickets also will be available at the door; children 12 years and younger get in free. Weaver said empty pots and pans will be circulated through the audience during the concert for a love offering. Pots and pans because, well, ACTS is a soup kitchen and food pantry!

In 2023, Weaver said the soup kitchen served up 46,257 plates at lunchtime from 11 a.m. and 12 noon. The pantry also prepared an additional 552 boxes of food that to help provide food to 1,442 individuals, which represents about 30,000 pounds – 15 tons – of food distributed to people in need.

An additional 11,000 plates of food was delivered to seniors/disabled in the community through their Mobile Meals program. And 25 backpacks were delivered each week to L.B. Yancey Elementary as part of the Backpack Buddies program.

It’s a huge volunteer effort and Weaver said she’s usually there every day during the week, but there’s always a need for more volunteers.

“I try to be there most days,” she said. “We have a lot of good people who come to volunteer – we couldn’t do this without the volunteers.”

In addition to cooking meals and boxing food items for distribution, volunteers also pick up food from all county Food Lions, as well the local Chick fil a and Starbucks and Strong Arm Baking Co. in Oxford.

Thankfully, they don’t have to purchase much food, Weaver said, adding that they do buy ingredients if the kitchen needs them for meal preparation.

What they do need is donations of canned beans like black beans, black eyed peas and pinto beans, and any canned vegetables EXCEPT corn and green beans, which they have in plentiful supply.

Canned meats like chicken and tuna also are needed.

Non-food items like bleach and that Dollar Tree staple Awesome! also are on the wish list.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/ACTSofHenderson/ to learn how you can help, from dropping off donations to becoming a volunteer. Or call 252.492.8231.

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Vance County Names New DSS Director

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Vance County has named a new director of Social Services.

Sandy Weaver assumed the role effective today, Oct. 1.

According to County Manager C. Renee Perry, Weaver has worked in the department as the Interim Social Work Program Administrator since July 30, 2024.

In the coming months, Perry said Weaver will be working with previous interim director Wayne Black to completely transition to her new role.

“We are thrilled to have Sandy join our team,” said Perry. “Her extensive background in social services as well as management will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our county’s services and ensure the well-being of our citizens.”

She previously served as deputy director for the Johnston County Department of Social Services for four years and as the assistant director for the Cumberland County Department of Social Services for approximately three years. Before that, she was a Social Work Program Administrator and Social Work Supervisor in Scotland County for three years.

She began her Social Services career in Columbus County in 2011 and held the positions of Lead Adult Protective Services worker, Adult Home Specialist and Social Work Supervisor/Child Protective Services Facilitator. She previously served as a Hospital Social Worker and a School Social Worker.

Weaver holds both a Bachelor of Social Work degree and a Master of Social Work degree from the UNC-Pembroke.

TownTalk: Rebuilding Hope, Hurricane Helene Relief

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Rebuilding Hope, Inc. is using one of its warehouses as a staging area and has two trailers ready to load up with much-needed supplies that will be delivered to western North Carolina that was ravaged by flooding and mudslides last week by Hurricane Helene.

Robbie Parham, one of the chaplains at the local nonprofit, said RHI has connections with several churches in the affected areas, including Crab Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville, where Kevin Long is pastor.

Parham said one trailer left today for Hendersonville, loaded with beds, generators and some food – leftover #10 cans of potatoes and string beans from last week’s chicken plate fundraiser.

“When you have a storm like this, people feel like they want to help,” Parham said. “The problem is getting the assets there” where they can be put to use.

Large organizations like Samaritan’s Purse and Baptists on Mission are already hard at work getting supplies to devastated areas like Asheville and other areas where so many people are out of electricity and water.

“Rebuilding Hope has the ability to mobilize,” Parham said, and the doors will be open to the whole community to help get the trailers filled. Normally open 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Parham said RHI is extending its hours to 5 p.m. to accept donations. Drive to the rear of the building to the back warehouse and someone will be available to take your donations.

Rebuilding Hope plans to get to the smaller towns now, Parham said, to help lessen the “logistical nightmare” of getting supplies from the big cities to those less populated areas where the need is just as great.

Some people just aren’t comfortable making online donations, Parham said, adding that actually purchasing items and dropping them off at Rebuilding Hope gives people peace of mind that their donation will go where it is most needed.

Many of those who will deliver the loaded trailers are disaster-trained, Parham said. “They feel led to hit the ground when disasters happen.”

Visit https://rebuildinghopeinc.org/ or call 252.438.5132 to learn more.

Here’s a list of items that are most needed at this time:

  • Bottled Water
  • Packaged nonperishable foods
  • Peel top canned foods
  • Paper plates
  • Plastic forks & spoons
  • Paper towels
  • Toilet Paper
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Wet wipes
  • Disinfectant wipes
  • Multipurpose cleaner
  • Large trash Bags

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The Local Skinny! Infinite Possibilities

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In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Infinite Possibilities is hosting a candlelight vigil Thursday in Warrenton to remember victims and survivors.

The statistics are sobering: in the United States, a person suffers domestic violence every 73 seconds and 1 in 6 women has been sexually assaulted or has been the victim of an attempted sexual assault.

Vanessa Henderson serves as an advocate at Infinite Possibilities, which serves Vance and Warren counties.

Henderson and others provide people with a safe place to discuss their situations and what they need to do to get out of danger.

The candlelight vigil will begin Thursday, Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Warren County Courthouse square, Henderson said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

“Every year we remember and honor the victims and survivors of domestic violence,” she said. Following remarks from community leaders including the mayor and sheriff, Henderson said participants will light candles and observe a moment of silence for those who have died at the hands of domestic violence or are survivors.

This year, Henderson estimates that her office in Warrenton and the Vance County location has helped close to 300 clients – that’s almost one person a day. And she hears from others in the community about how grateful they are for the services – and hope – that Infinite Possibiities provides.

The services are free and confidential and include everything from helping clients understand the court process to obtain protective orders and “no contact” orders to developing a safety plan to safely leave a violent situation.

“The most dangerous time for someone in a domestic violence situation is the time when they’re leaving,” Henderson said. “We do safety planning to help them leave safely.”

In addition to helping clients arrange getting to a safe place or shelter, Infinite Possibilities also offers assessments and counseling when clients are ready to leave an abusive situation.

“We are here to help them, in a safe environment,” she said.

Call the Henderson office at 252.431.1926 or the Warrenton office at 252.257.1044.

Call the crisis hotline 24/7 at 252-425-2492.

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Donate Items To Hurricane Relief At Vipers’ Football Game Oct. 5

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UPDATE: Unfortunately, the game has been cancelled. AD Philip Weil, of Vance County High School, said the “game is canceled this Saturday due to the continuous impact and devastation to the East Rutherford community.”  He said, “If people have already bought supplies, we will collect and make sure the Red Cross receives them,” if the supplies are brought to campus during the week. No one will be on site Saturday.

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Vance County High School will host a Disaster Relief Rally during its varsity football game on Saturday, Oct. 5 to help the victims of flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

The Vipers host East Rutherford High School at 2 p.m. Items may be brought between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Following is a list of items being requested:

  • bottled water
  • blanket
  • towels
  • jackets
  • canned foods, non-perishable food items
  • bug repellent
  • diapers
  • flashlights
  • personal hygiene products

Learn more at 252.430.6000 or visit https://vchs.vcs.k12.nc.us/.

TownTalk: HPD Press Release Regarding Saturday Night Shooting

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Press Release from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

Just before midnight on Saturday, September 28th, a fight started inside Tiffany’s of Henderson, 110 S. Garnett Street. The altercation continued outside where it was reported that at least two individuals brandished firearms and discharged them.

Law Enforcement was in the immediate area, and was alerted to the situation before 911 was ever called.

The gunfire resulted in five individuals being injured and seeking medical treatment at various area medical facilities. Only two individuals are still under medical treatment and are in stable condition. All others have been discharged.

Investigators of the Henderson Police Department are still working on the details of what occurred and will update this press release as information becomes available. We would like to thank the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office for all that they did in this situation.

We are grateful for the cooperation we have received thus far, but if anyone else has any information they wish to share, please contact us at 252-438-4141, Crime Stoppers at 252.492.1925, through the P3 app, or through Facebook Messenger.

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