Your publisher returned last Thursday from a 14-day deployment as a volunteer with the American Red Cross to assist in the Hurricane Irene relief efforts. A news reporter from News14 arrived at the shelter to broadcast the attached story. What the reporter did not say is that at the peak of the storm the Pamlico Community College shelter (near New Bern)housed and and fed 250 residents. Many of these Pamlico County residents lost homes, cars and belongings. The Red Cross and FEMA are attempting to find temporary and permanent housing for the remaining shelter residents.
My hat goes off to the many Carolina volunteers who gave hours of their personal time to help those in need. One Raleigh contractor I met, Troy Hutchins, Hutchins Construction, drove to the coast over the weekend to personally help storm victims in cleanup efforts-without expecting any compensation. We welcome other stories from our readers about their Irene experiences. As a volunteer I did some good in Pamlico County, but it sure feels good to be back home and writing for North Carolina Construction News. Click here for the News14 story.