North Strand ‘Baskets of Hope’ helps Nichols flood recovery
When Allen Lee, the Little River funeral director, learned about the devastating impact of Hurricane Matthew in Nichols, he knew he had to help. Three weeks later, a grassroots recovery effort is working on a third box truck of recovery supplies. Lee says the truck will take supplies every Friday as long as donations are received.
“I complained about not having power for five days – then I talked to friends in Nichols who don’t have a home,” he said.
Flooding on the Lumber River caused terrific damage in the town. One of the first calls Lee made was to his longtime friend Craig Hill, a co-founder of the Rotary Club of Little River.
“He called and asked is there anything the Rotary club can do? I said I’ll see what I can do,” Hill recalls.
Hill immediately appealed to members of the Little River service club. Thirteen Rotarians loaded the first load of supplies, so much that “we just could get the door closed,” Lee says. The club gave $1,000; members individually contributed another $1,500.
“Allen and I contributed another $1,500 from the Blue Crab Festival, Inc.,” a private nonprofit in which Lee and Hill are the principals. For nine years, the two friends ran the annual Little River festival.
The supplies collected at the funeral home, at Nixon’s Crossroads, are taken to Harvest Church in Green Sea. The church is a central distribution for Hearts With Hands, based in Asheville, N.C.
“Harvest Church has a good system,” Lee says, noting that many donations of clothing were taken to the Bucksport community when Harvest Church said it didn’t need clothes at this point.
A woman in Houston ordered items at a Walmart there and they were picked up here. The donor heard an appeal on WVCO-FM 94.9 The Surf, which streams its signal online. Lee, who is from Mullins, is deeply gratified by the community response.
“It makes me proud to be a part of the North Myrtle Beach-Little River area.”
New Fund Set
For Recovery
The Area Recovery Cooperative, Inc., a nonprofit established following Hurricane Hugo in 1989, has set up a new fund at Waccamaw Community Foundation to provide money for recovery from Hurricane Matthew and future disasters. The Disaster Recovery Fund for Horry & Georgetown Counties was started with a seed donation from Area Recovery Cooperative and has received contributions from individuals in recent weeks. A $1,000 check received this week brings the total to about $34,000.
The ARC has maintained a low profile. Brad Dean, chief executive of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, is the ARC chairman. Keith Pierce, of the chamber staff, says the idea was to allow individuals and businesses to help directly in disaster recovery efforts. Karen Minogue of Waccamaw Community Foundation notes that grants from community foundations cannot go to individuals, only to nonprofit organizations.
Baskets of Hope
For Nichols area
Cleaning supplies, paper products, nonperishable food and school supplies are collected at the Lee Funeral Home & Crematory in Little River for the recovery effort in the Nichols area. Checks may be made payable to Blue Crab Festival, Inc., a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Mail checks to:
P.O. Box 1116
Little River, SC 29566
Other contributions may be taken to the funeral home at:
11840 Highway 90
Little River
Phone | 843-390-2525
Area Recovery
Fund at WCF
Area Recovery Cooperative, Inc., has established a new disaster recovery fund at Waccamaw Community Foundation. Make checks payable to Waccamaw Community Foundation and in the memo line specify Hurricane Matthew Relief Fund. Mail checks to:
Waccamaw Community Foundation
3655 S. Highway 17 Business
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
Phone | 843-357-4483 or 800-356-3016 (Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce)
Online | www.waccamawcf.org
This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 2:37 PM with the headline "North Strand ‘Baskets of Hope’ helps Nichols flood recovery."