As devastating as the images coming out of western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen in late September were, sadly for those of us who were not personally affected by the storm, it was time to continue with our daily lives. It's too easy. Emotions were running high in the lead-up to the election, but supporters of President-elect Donald Trump are now focusing much of their attention on his prospects for a second term.
North Carolinians don't. Voter turnout in North Carolina remained significantly high, more than 100,000 votes higher than in 2020 and more than 1 million more than in 2016, but much of the western part of the state is usually protected from the storms that hit the coast. It is being Ruins that have regularity and have been destroyed by floods.
Not content to continue the holiday season while their fellow citizens across the state continue to suffer, some Christians in eastern North Carolina are sending supplies, Bibles and hearty Thanksgiving meals to those in need. We are preparing to provide it.
To learn more about what's being called Operation Thanksgiving Blessing, Blaze News spoke to the man behind the plan, David Burke. He's trying to give all the credit to someone else.
“If it weren't for God, none of this would have happened,” he said, adding with a laugh, “I'm not that smart.”
thanksgiving blessing strategy
Blaze News has spoken to Mr. Burke many times and can confirm that he is indeed that smart. Burke, a project manager for a metal manufacturing company, is also known for participating in several cooking competitions.
“I placed third in the state of North Carolina in a whole barbeque contest with the Los Carolina Pork Council,” he proudly stated in a message to Blaze News.
On a Sunday morning in early October, just over a week after Hurricane Helen hit the state, Burke did more than pray and cut a check for the victims after attending church. I felt like I had to.
“Sunday school lessons were more about family social service than anything else,” he said. “I'm 59 years old. Until three or four weeks ago, I had never taken a class on community service in Sunday school.”
David Burke speaks to children at a church that donated 100 Bibles for Operation Thanksgiving Blessing. Photos used with permission.
Through a series of coincidences and contact with people living hours away, Burke finally figured out what he was going to do. The task was to arrange to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for people living in areas that had traditionally received little assistance from the government.
Quote from Mayor Newland, North Carolina derek robertsBurke claims he received only $300 from FEMA after his daughter lost her entire home in the floods, and in some cases with little government aid, people in western North Carolina are more or less fending for themselves. He argued that he had to protect it.
“I knew then that was where we needed to go,” Burke told Blaze News.
Burke lives near Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. It's a rural area about 160 miles northeast of Raleigh and more than 420 miles east of Elk Park, the area where he planned to raise his family, about a six-hour drive. The distance and the scope of his plan meant that Burke needed help.
Like many people these days, Burke turned to social media. facebook page As a landing site for those interested in participating. And then the floodgates opened, so to speak.
Famous turkey company Butterball donated 100 turkeys, each weighing approximately 24 pounds. Grover Construction provides enough ingredients to make 300 gallons of Brunswick Stew, a local staple that Burke describes as “a rich vegetable soup.” Even the local prison, which has an on-site farm, reportedly donated 180 dozen eggs for the effort, totaling more than 2,100 eggs.
Restaurants like Neapolitan Pizza and Italian Restaurant in Murfreesboro provided the funds through fundraisers. All proceeds from the fundraiser (including tips) were pooled to raise $4,000 for Operation Thanksgiving Blessing in Naples alone.
Napoli owner Mari Rizzo told Blaze News she was thrilled with the success of the fundraiser.
“At Napoli's Pizza and Italian Restaurant, we have always believed in the power of community. When we heard about the devastating effects of hurricanes on families in Western North Carolina, we felt compelled to help. Our team wanted to do something meaningful for the community, especially with Thanksgiving coming up,” Rizzo told Blaze News. said in a statement.
“To all the families in western North Carolina who are facing difficult times, we want you to know that we are thinking of you and that this gesture will bring some comfort and joy to your holidays.” Our hearts are with you and we will continue to do everything we can to help you through this difficult time. ”
Photos from the Naples fundraiser. Used with permission.
of seaboard lions clubof which Burke is a member, also collects monetary and material donations, which are stored on the organization's 20-acre grounds.
“Everyone knows someone, and in our world, the more people you know… [the] It’s better that way,” Burke said of the growing network of donors and volunteers participating in Operation Blessing Thanksgiving.
Burke told Blaze News that the original goal was to cook and serve a total of about 5,000 meals on Thanksgiving Day, but other people who live about 90 miles away near Fletcher, N.C. After speaking with other women who had similar ideas about feeding people, she said her goal expanded even further. From Elk Park — The Saturday after Thanksgiving.
“We had another 40 turkeys donated and another 20 hams donated. So what we do on Thanksgiving is we cook all the food for those 500 as well, package it up and send it off. 'And all she has to do is reheat it and serve 500 people on Saturday as well,' Burke explained.
Thanksgiving home-cooked meals are hearty, but this food is only a small part of the products and services that Operation Thanksgiving Blessing provides to the people of Western North Carolina.
Burke and his team also loaded the 53-foot trailer with other supplies, including winter clothing, heaters, blankets, baby supplies, gloves, hats, personal hygiene products, paper products and cleaning supplies. Orbis Corporation also donated 750 plastic boxes for storage, an essential item for people who not only lost all their belongings but also had no place to store them.
“Orbis is honored to support this great cause and assist the people of Western North Carolina in their time of need,” the company told Blaze News.
Photos of equipment. Used with permission.
detail
Workers in the Roanoke Rapids area have already started packing up trailers and trucks, ready to move everything out to the western part of the state in the day or so before Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving Day, we will be at Cranberry Middle School, located at 6051 NUS Hwy 19E in Elk Park, North Carolina. People start arriving at 11 a.m. and can sit down and enjoy their food or grab take-out to-go.
Screenshot of the flyer posted on the OTB Facebook page. Used with permission.
Burke told Blaze News his group has all the supplies and donations it can handle. He suggested that anyone still interested in making a monetary donation mail checks to the Seaboard Lions Club, PO Box 76, Seaboard, North Carolina. Send a check and include “OTB” in the memo line of the check to bring it to David Burke's attention and he will assign it to Operation Thanksgiving Blessing.
Burke stressed to Blaze News that “every red penny” the Lions Club receives will be distributed to those who live in and around Elk Park. Always a proponent of transparency, Mr. Burke even asked Blaze News to publish his personal phone number for this article, which we politely declined.
“We don't want people to sit around wondering what we're doing,” he explained. “I want them to see exactly what is going on and see God at work.”
Nourish your stomach and heart
A devout Christian, Burke takes seriously the Biblical call to love and serve others, and is willing to use his talents as a project manager and chef to help those who have lost all their possessions be remembered. Serve a Thanksgiving meal. .
But he believes it is even more important to share the gospel with them for Christ's sake.
“We're looking for that one person who doesn't believe in God, who doesn't believe in God, and it's our hope that we can change that person's or her mind,” he told Blaze News.
“By showing people that we care and that God has been working all along to bring this all together, maybe, just maybe, we can save that person.” he continued.
Burke is not the only Christian to participate in Operation Thanksgiving Blessing. In fact, he has worked with church members across the state to identify and reach those in need.
For example, Burke connected with a pastor from his hometown of Murfreesboro who now lives in Boone, North Carolina, and they began collecting supplies to be shipped from across the country through Amazon. Burke also contacted the student body president at Appalachian State University, where he and his wife once attended Sunday school.
“I called her and talked to her and said…'Go out and tell these people that you're going to bring help on Thanksgiving…and I'm right behind you. 'I said, 'You've been on mission trips with me before. I know exactly what I want to accomplish, so let's see if we can make it happen.''
Burke told Blaze News that some people, especially those who lost homes, pets, or even loved ones in Hurricane Helen, may have a hard time believing in a loving, almighty God. I admitted that there was no. But faith in the face of doubt is still the answer, he added.
“Why did God allow something like this to happen? I can't answer that question, but it's all within God's plan,” he explained. “His plan makes sense. He doesn't make mistakes. So all we have to do is have faith.”
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