A taste of goodness after Florence

Private and public sectors donated meals for the community after the hurricane struck. The Elks Lodge of New Bern was the first to offer more than 400 meals of pulled pork with all the fixins’ served at our Community Center. On another day, PBJ sandwiches, brownies and various snacks magically appeared, brought by residents to share with their less fortunate and sometimes unknown neighbors. Each day the very familiar American Red Cross food truck served a healthy hot lunch and/or an enjoyable dinner. The Flame, a local Catering and Banquet center, offered one of their specialty chicken dinners. Religious Community Services (RCS) supplied several meals, each of which included salad, bread, a hot entrée, vegetables, fruit and dessert.

We know RCS best as the city’s soup kitchen where many Fairfield Harbour residents volunteer on a regular basis. Interesting twist!

Over several days, the local Harris-Teeter food market and the Red Cross donated more than a thousand 10-pound bags of ice. The ice delivery trucks were manned by residents, Red Cross volunteers, or local church parishioners. The ice was loaded into pickup trucks and hurried to areas without electricity. Sometimes it was just that ice-cold, thirst-quenching drink which provided the energy to continue.

Regardless of who was involved in making this happen, the supply of food, water and ice was always ample. At the sit-down dinners, volunteers from these same giving organizations broke bread with Fairfield Harbour residents and quietly exchanged stories of the ways Hurricane Florence changed lives.

What stood out the most about the giving? The gratitude of those who were in need and the satisfaction of those who helped them.

Fairfield Harbour – a caring place to live!