HOPEWELL, Va. -- A church in Hopewell is among those working to help people in North Carolina impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene and one of its congregants is using his social media following to help spread the word.
Senior Pastor Michael Moore of Beacon Hill Church, which CBS 6 has featured for its work feeding the homeless in Hopewell, said members of the church were actually on a mission in Jacksonville, FL. handing out food when the hurricane struck.
"It was starting to get windy. The winds were going up to 60 miles an hour, and we sent the busses ahead so they wouldn't topple over. And some of us stayed behind and worked through it," said Moore. "We ended up being able to feed an entire evacuation shelter and giving them needs with what we brought here."
Moore said the day after they got back a church member asked if they would be going back down to help out.
"I said, 'Well, let me think about, let me have a day.' And then Oliver Anthony called me on Tuesday and just really passionate about helping out down there."
If that name rings a bell, that is because it is the same Oliver Anthony from Central Virginia who went viral last year with his song "Rich Men North of Richmond" and is a member of Moore's church.
"Oliver has really grown in Christ in the last year and he wants to make sure that Christ is glorified through this, is what he said to me on the phone," said Moore.
After talking with Moore, Anthony posted a Facebook reel asking for donations and said he wanted to make sure 100% of what people gave got to those impacted.
"I just want to focus on getting these people fed and give them some shelter," Anthony said in the video. "First and foremost, if you got supplies, like anything -- food, paper towel, or all the toiletry stuff. Any kind of clothes. Anything that you think that flood victims could use right now."
Moore said people have responded to Anthony's call from around the country.
"I'm literally getting shipments in from all over all 50 states. People are sending in backpacks, diapers, formulas," said Moore. "A lot of them have touched me, but somebody went through the devastation in Puerto Rico and they were telling me how they were without power for six months…And so, they called me, they said, 'Everything I have, I want to give to Western Carolina, because I know what it's like to hurt.' And that's powerful."
Moore said they will focus their initial efforts on helping the neighborhood of Beacon Village in Swannanoa, NC which reports said only has 11 homes out of 77 that survived. They will partner with the owner of a nearby music venue, Silverados, who Anthony knows.
While the duo intend to expand where they help, Anthony said he is starting there because he used to live in that area.
"When you drive down I-40, there's that little McDonald's…you better believe I was in the back of that thing, sweating for a lot of late night shifts, flipping burgers. Like I -- so, that's why I'm starting there," Anthony said in his reel. "East Tennessee, southwest Virginia, West Virginia, I understand you guys are suffering and I want this money and these supplies to affect you too. And so, as this thing builds momentum and going, I just hope that North Carolina is where we're a little more centralized, but we just push this thing out."
Moore said along with collecting material goods, they have raised at least $50,000 that will be used to help residents with long-term recovery.
"There needs to be a strong communication and just a sense of community built out of this in order for these places to sustain for them not to end up being land grabs," said Anthony.
"Oliver's committed and we're committed to helping long term in western Carolina," added Moore.
Moore said church members will head down to Beacon Village on Monday morning with several buses loaded with supplies and Anthony will join them later that night. He added while hates the circumstances under which they are going, he has loved seeing just how many people want to help out.
"It's often in times of crisis that we see the community step up and bond together and this country needs that more than ever right now."
Those wishing to donate to this effort can either make in-person drop-offs to:
Beacon Hill Church/Beacon Theatre
401 N. Main St., Hopewell, VA 23860
Drop off from 9AM to 5PM
804-839-7930
Silverados
2898 US-70, Black Mountain, NC 28711
Drop off from 10AM to 6PM
You can also find more information about needed supplies and can make monetary donations here.
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