Alumni Priests Peter Robichau (’10) and Andrew Cannon (’16) have launched efforts to assist parishioners of Saint Basil Orthodox Church in Wilmington, NC who have been left in need in the wake of a direct hit from Hurricane Florence on September 14, 2018.
Fr. Peter and Fr. Andrew were recently assigned as rector and assistant priest, respectively, at Saint Basil. The hurricane did not cause structural damage to the church building, but did topple some trees on the property, damaging fences. Unfortunately, some of Saint Basil’s parishioners suffered far worse.
“Soon after Florence made landfall, we began to receive reports from parishioners of major uninsured losses, lost wages, and tremendous hardship—and the ‘worst’ hasn’t even started, according to disaster response officials,” Fr. Peter explained to OCA.org. “And right now, due to major highway closures with no way in or out of Wilmington, evacuees will be forced to wait a considerable time before returning, relief workers’ arrivals will be delayed, and deliveries of essentials such as food, water, and fuel will be limited for some time. This will be a months-long recovery.”
The parish has established a GoFundMe page to raise money for those parishioners as well as to assist neighbors and others who come to the parish for help. Donations may also be sent directly to Saint Basil Church Hurricane Relief Fund, 4601 Blue Clay Road, Castle Hayne, NC 28429.
Additionally, Saint Basil Church is working with International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC], which established emergency response protocols before the hurricane hit. Volunteers interested in helping IOCC’s relief efforts across the region can register online.
