PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A North Carolina man who helped feed Hurricane Helene victims in the western part of the state over Thanksgiving is hard at work to provide them with a traditional Christmas experience later this month.
David Burke, organizer of the group “Operation: Thanksgiving Blessings,” helped the group gear up for their trip to Newland to make hot meals for Hurricane Helene victims on Thanksgiving Day.
Catching up with Burke, he said he’s been busy since that time.
“People started calling me from all over the nation,” Burke said. “All, most major networks, CNN and Fox and even the NBC national news. And they did a story on the things that we were doing. And it’s all because of what you did, Ashley, and I am so very appreciative.”
Burke brought together more than 200 volunteers to serve Thanksgiving dinner to hurricane victims in western North Carolina.
“I feel sorry for those people still, you know, and I don’t know what else to do but keep on trying to talk and be their voices if need be,” Burke said.
They made up nearly 4,000 plates of food, gave away more than 450 pounds of eastern North Carolina barbecue and 1,200 quarts of Brunswick stew along with toiletries and school supplies. Some, he said were in great need, but didn’t want to ask.
“You could tell that they were people that needed help, but even when you tried to help them, they would try to tell you, ‘Oh, no, you just give me a couple of these, there are people worse off than we are,” Burke said. “So finally, we just stopped asking and we just started loading their cars up. And when they came, we opened all the doors and jammed them all full of stuff. We slammed the doors before they could change their mind and we gave them some food and sent them on their way. And each and every one of them would look at us and say, ‘God bless you.'”
And when I asked what this meant to him, you could see it on his face.
“I know it went and helped people,” Burke said. “And it just fills your heart so full, you can’t describe it.”
Seeing the destruction firsthand touched his heart — and he said he’ll be back.
“But they’re doing what they have to do to survive, so If I can help them anymore, I’ll be out there,” he said.
Donations are still rolling in, and Burke has now partnered with the group “Bringing Hope for Christmas,” which will recreate a traditional Christmas experience for those hurricane victims on Dec. 21-22. If you’d like to help out, visit their Facebook page or by typing Bringing Hope for Christmas in the Facebook search bar.