17 minute read
Hertford
from Eastern Living
by Cooke NC
COUNTY
FILLING the NEED Feeding the Hungry
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A study of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is hardly necessary to know that the most basic of needs for human existence is food.
Although the United States is a nation which produces food in abundance - with from 30 to 40 percent of the food supply wasted - according to the USDA, just as basic as the need for food is the fact that some people are unable to fulfill that basic need.
When individuals, for whatever reason, cannot meet that basic need themselves, they can find help in Murfreesboro.
Most prominent among those solutions is the monthly Mobile Food Bank. Coming once a month (third Tuesday afternoon) to the parking lot of Murfreesboro Baptist Church at 200 West Main Street, the Food Bank is jointly sponsored by Murfreesboro Baptist Church,
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STORY BY SARAH DAVIS PHOTOS BY LOU ANN GILLIAM
Meherrin Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro and Murfreesboro United Methodist Church.
Begun in 2012 as an outreach project by the late Peggy (Mrs. Frank) Lowe, with financial assistance in the form of a grant from Vidant, the food bank serves from 120-150 families per month.
Chairing the project is Colon Ballance, who reports that approximately 20 volunteers are needed each visit. Representatives from each of the sponsoring churches help as well as Chowan University students when the university is in session. Often an entire athletic team will assist.
Prior to the arrival of the truck from Food Bank of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, a group of registrars move among the cars that line Broad Street waiting for the distribution. To be eligible for the food, one must only produce evidence of Hertford County residence, such as a driver’s license or utility bill. Each car may obtain food for as many as three families as long as the necessary paperwork is in place.
Once the registration is complete with the number of families to be served known, and the truck arrives so it can be determined what is on the truck, an equitable distribution of the goods begins.
According to Ballance, until the truck arrives, it is not known what will be available. There are usually frozen meats, canned goods, bread, sweets and fruit.
The volunteers unload the truck, placing the selected items into a grocery cart to then be loaded into the waiting cars.
As soon as a volunteer signals that all is ready,
three-to-five cars enter the parking lot; their cars are filled; they move out; another three-tofive cars move in. The process usually takes from one to one and a half hours.
If any food from the truck remains, it is housed at Murfreesboro Baptist Church, which keeps a Food Pantry with food available for distribution the fourth Monday of each month January through November.
Begun about the same time as the Mobile Food Pantry, it is also chaired by Ballance. Begun by MBC member Danielle Trent, it is supplied by donations from MBC members and always includes non-perishable items, such as peanut butter, soup, cereal and canned vegetables.
According to the Rev. Lane Bass, MBC pastor, the Food Pantry now serves approximately 20 families per month, the number having almost doubled in the two-plus years of his ministry in Murfreesboro.
Another Food Pantry in Murfreesboro is found on the campus of Chowan University. Now in its third year, it was begun by Distinguished Professor of Art and Dean of Fine and Applied Arts Chris Rupsch, and is administered by her and Administrative Assistant Teresa Warren. Housed in Horner Hall, location of the Department of Graphic Communications, it is known as the Just in Time Food Pantry, named by a student.
It houses non-perishable food items, such as fruit cups, puddings, peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, Ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese, but it also contains hygiene and laundry items which have proven to be much needed by students.
Begun almost accidentally to help a single student who was on campus during times the cafeteria was not open, knowledge of it has spread by word-of-mouth both in terms of use and support.
Initially its main source of funding, Dr. Rupsch remains the chief shopper, but is no longer dependent on only her own bank account. Dr. Chris White, now University Chancellor, allowed a university account to be established for it in the Chowan Business Office and made sure a healthy balance began the account.
This year, Chowan University President Dr. Kirk Peterson, hosted the faculty and staff for a Christmas breakfast and asked the attendees to bring contributions in the form of cash, checks, or gift cards for Just in Time. Faculty members Katherine Vickers (English) and Rob Buller (Art) hold an annual Empty Bowls Soup Supper with part of the proceeds going to the Food Pantry. Groups, such as Dr. Ed Snyder’s CU class or athletic teams, hold canned goods drives as well.
Any student, whether in need of a meal, latenight snack, or detergent for laundry, can take advantage of Just in Time. The student need only come by Horner during specified hours,
usually early afternoon. Many students do find they need to supplement the meal plan, which for many provides only 10 or 14 meals per week. There were approximately 300 visits during the 2018-2019 school year.
Other food assistance in Murfreesboro can be found at New Beginnings Baptist Church, which hosts a Thanksgiving Community Meal and at St. Paul’s Church which administers federally funded food supplements.
First Baptist Church has assisted with the summer feeding program in conjunction with Hertford County Public Schools, but the church’s location has made it difficult for students to access the service, so it has been temporarily suspended.
Hunger is real as 2019 Heisman Winner, LSU quarterback Joe Burrows has reminded us; it is real in his hometown of Athens, Ohio, and it is real in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Fortunately, so are attempts to feed the hungry and meet the basic need.
Sarah Davis is a retired librarian and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living and the Bertie Ledger-Advance.
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MARTIN COUNTY
“Still Affliction Going On” Martin County Team Sticks by HURRICANE VICTIMS
STORY & PHOTOS BY SARAH HODGES STALLS
Nearly a year and a half after Hurricane Florence wreaked havoc on parts of Eastern North Carolina, a group of Martin County volunteers is still making progress in a neighboring county’s recovery.
When storm recovery in New Bern and the surrounding area left the daily headlines, the “yellow shirts” from Baptists on Mission stayed. Today they are one of the groups still at work down east.
One of the teams who have been on the ground since the beginning of the flooding originated from Piney Grove Baptist Church in Farm Life.
Already doing repair and recovery work in Martin and Bertie counties, this team began heading south to New Bern and points nearby in
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the weeks after Hurricane Florence struck.
“Us hanging exterior doors and insulation would have scared me to death 18 months ago,” explained Randy Mobley, team leader for the Baptists on Mission Team based out of Piney Grove Baptist Church.
The team has since jacked up houses to replace floor joists and countless other tasks they would have never envisioned early on.
“It’s been amazing to see it come together and continue to grow,” Mobley said.
The team first worked in New Bern on Sept. 20, 2018, helping a family in the Fairfield Harbor community.
From Jan. 1, 2019 to Jan. 1, 2020, the team has logged approximately 4,850 working hours in New Bern alone. This does not include work in areas adjacent to New Bern.
Seven area churches are now represented within the group and it is still growing.
“Everyone brings something to this team,” said Mobley, “And it’s always something we need.”
With each new addition to the team comes a new skill set.
Luther Bailey of Washington had been to Baptists on Mission Disaster Relief trainings and had worked from Rodanthe to New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy. After being invited by a friend to check out the Piney Grove team and what they were doing, Bailey was hooked.
“My wife and I absolutely enjoy working with this team,” he said. “I knew just enough about carpentry to get myself in trouble, but they have
put me to work.”
He encourages people to bring a willing heart to the table and see what can happen.
“Share what you know how to do. It may be a little plumbing or hanging sheet rock, but it is all needed,” Bailey said.
Sweeping up behind the workers and cheerleading are also greatly needed skills.
According to officials with Baptists on Mission, this team represents what their organization looks for in volunteers: a servant’s heart.
“They have become family,” explained Carrie Fisher, Site Coordinator for Baptists on Mission’s New Bern Rebuild Site.
The team’s consistency in service brings tremendous “peace of mind” to Fisher and those arranging help for those displaced by Hurricane Florence.
“Having a team that is committed to our cause and believes in what we are doing is not only great by making my job easy because I can count on them,” she said.
“Seeing them build the relationships with these homeowners is priceless,” she paused. “It brings them so much hope.”
Two months ago, 1,400 known homes still remained in need of assistance with storm recovery. Now the number is more than 1,700 because people are finding out help is still available.
“There is going to be a need for a long time,” Fisher said of the continued recovery effort.
For months, the team from Martin County focused on tear out, which refers to the process of removing all water-damaged materials from houses. This may include anything from personal belongings to flooring, furniture, sheet rock and more.
As time moved on, they became part of the
- RICKY LAMB
rebuilding effort.
At the end of 2019, team members were able to see a project come full circle when they helped get one of their families back in their house just in time for Christmas.
“They are just a blessing,” explained resident Ricky Lamb of Contentnea Avenue in New Bern.
Lamb was one of the countless residents who did not know where to turn after what the National Weather Service called “the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the Carolinas.”
A random stop at a local hardware store changed everything.
“The lady asked me if I knew about Baptists on Mission,” Lamb said. “I told her I had heard of them but had no idea how to get up with them.”
He gave her his number and received a call the very next day. It was Carrie Fisher on the other end.
“She’s awesome,” Lamb said of his very special friend.
And then came the team from Martin County. Bonds of faith and friendship have been made throughout such a trying process.
Volunteers are needed to keep bringing people like Ricky back into their homes.
“All are welcome,” explained Fisher. “There is a job for every skill level. Come with a servant’s heart and we’ll find you the job.”
Fisher explained she got her start with Baptists on Mission by joining up with another team.
“You can be a team of one,” she said. “The key is when you feel led – answer the call and worry about the details later. We’ll help you figure it out.”
Mobley welcomes any interested volunteers to join the Martin County group in New Bern.
“Come with us and see how things work,” he said.
The team works in New Bern on Monday and Tuesday, every other week.
This team is made up of both men and women and has shown everyone has a skill to offer, regardless of their age.
Teens from the church began making the trip when they could. Their enthusiasm spread and Riverside High School has recently sent student volunteers to join the group.
“I am so impressed with our young people,” Mobley explained. “They are always ready to go and are tremendous workers.”
The Martin County team does not stay in New Bern when working but drives home each day. Teams coming from father away will have an opportunity to stay in New Bern once new housing is complete at the rebuild headquarters.
To learn more about North Carolina Baptist on Mission, check out the organization’s website at https://baptistonmission.org.
For information on volunteering in New Bern, Fisher welcomes inquiries at (252)5148868 or h.florence.newbern@ncmissions.org.
To reach Mobley and the Martin County team which operates out of Piney Grove Baptist Church in the Farm Life Community, call the church at (252) 792-1342 and leave a message for the team.
Sarah Hodges Stalls is a Staff Writer for Eastern North Carolina Living, the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald and the Bertie Ledger-Advance.
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NORTHAMPTON
COUNTY
JAGUARS ‘just play football’
STORY BY THADD WHITE PHOTOS BY ANDRE ALFRED
It was over. Three losses in four games ended Northampton County High School’s reign atop the Tar Roanoke Conference.
There would be no third straight No. 1 seed in the playoffs. No string of home games leading deep into the playoffs.
That’s when veteran football boss George Privott did what he does best: he motivated his student-athletes.
“I told them all the pressure is off of us now,” he said. “We’re not going to win the conference. We’re not going to be the number one seed. Now, we can relax and play football.”
The result: The Jaguars rolled off seven straight wins and reached the North Carolina
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High School Athletic Association Class 1A finals at Wallace-Wade Stadium on the campus of Duke University.
“It is something we’re glad to finally have accomplished,” Privott stressed. “Now, we want to go back and win.”
The season started out with a 20-14 win over rival Roanoke Rapids. From there, the Jaguars knocked off Pasquotank County High School 42-zip and rolled over Warren County 56-7.
Things changed when Northampton met rival Hertford County the following week.
“We did a lot of things against Hertford County we were used to getting away with, but they took advantage of them,” Privott said. “We jam receivers on the line and knock them off their routes before dropping into a zone.
“We had gotten a little lazy and not jammed the receivers as well as we should,” he continued. “At Hertford County, the quarterback picked up on it.”
Another thing happened during the visit to Ahoskie – injuries began to pile up.
Privott said he thought his team would bounce back the next week against Washington County, but his opponents put together a solid game plan, and it was aided by yet another injury to a key starter.
Missing two starters in the backfield, the Jaguars edged Rocky Mount Prep 16-0 the next week setting up the annual showdown
with North Edgecombe.
With three starters missing, Northampton went down to a 46-28 defeat – the loss that ended their threat of winning the league.
That’s when the turnaround began in earnest.
The Jaguars punished Southeast Halifax 70-6, blanked Northwest Halifax 58-0 and rolled by KIPP Pride 38-12 before ending the regular season with a 4434 win over Weldon.
No longer the top dog in the bracket, the Jaguars would be looking to be the “spoiler” in the playoffs. They would be the team to go on the road and knock off those who expected to advance.
After a first round bye, Northampton County drew Northside (Pinetown) in the first round. They were a familiar foe because the two had squared off in a preseason jamboree at North Pitt.
Northampton secured a 34-21 win over Northside and then ran head first into a familiar opponent – Rosewood High School from Goldsboro.
“We started the playoffs with the third round still in the back of our minds,” Privott admitted. “We had lost there three years in a row – first to Southside, then Plymouth and finally Rosewood.
“So, here comes the third round again,” Privott mused. “We wanted to repay Rosewood for last year. They were a four (seed) and beat us as a one. We had the chance to repay the favor.”
That’s exactly what they did, knocking off the top seed 26-20.
That set up the rematch with North Edgecombe.
“We knew we had a chance because we lost to them, but we were missing some starters,” Privott said. “We knew at full strength we had a chance.”
The Jaguars again bested their foe, scoring a 20-12 victory and setting up a trip to the state championship game.
The Jaguars came up short, dropping a 45-14 decision to perennial state power Robbinsville, but it didn’t diminish the experience.
“We made some mistakes and got down early,” Privott said. “We were able to come back, but we never quite got our footing. I think my guys were a little overwhelmed, but we played hard.”
The “Big Four” – as they like to be known – led the team all season. They included quarterback Zion Kendall, who led the team.
“He’s one of those kids who is super undersized, but he has the best football IQ I’ve ever coached – and I have a guy playing in the NFL right now,” Privott said.
Kendall rushed for 900 yards and passed for another
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134 yards in leading the offense.
Running back Na’Jae Newsome led the team with 1,367 yards rushing for the season. He also had two 90-plus yard runs in the playoffs, and scored the game-winner on a 70-yard score against Rosewood.
Eric Robinson bounced back from several injuries to be a key component in the Northampton offense. He ended the season with over 800 yards rushing.
The final member of the “Big Four” was fullback Semaj Mitchell. While fullbacks don’t often figure into yardage in the triple option attack, Privott used his to the fullest extent.
Mitchell rushed for 984 yards this season and helped lead the team in every statistical category offensively.
Another key member of the team was linebacker Ja’Vonte Scott, who recorded 71 tackles during his junior season. He was also named Best Defensive Player for Northampton County in the state finals.
Overall, the Jaguars were a team of players who made the most of every opportunity and it resulted in success unlike any the county has known.
“This was the first time we’ve made the
state finals since consolidation,” Privott said. “As we went further into the playoffs, it was good to see people from both ends of the county – east and west – supporting us and encouraging people to attend the games.”
Privott commended the people of Northampton County for driving to North Edgecombe in the Eastern Finals and for representing the county well in the state championship contest.
But, he said the program will not rest on its laurels.
“We’re thrilled to have made the state
championship,” he reiterated. “We’re not satisfied. We began working the next week to be back.”
Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North
Carolina Living, the Bertie Ledger-Advance and the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald.
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