Gurudwaras across the country raise funds for continued hurricane florence relief funds help global united nations—affiliated humanitarian non-profit serve thousands of carolinians

LUMBERTON, NORTH CAROLINA – Hundreds of Sikhs across the country are joining hands to raise funds and donate resources to ground relief efforts serving residents of all faiths throughout the coastal Carolina regions hit hardest by the worst storm and flooding in a generation. Congregations from gurudwaras in Chicago, Washington, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and North Carolina raised more than $5,000 in cash donations and food supply for UNITED SIKHS aid distribution to assist thousands of Carolinians in need

UNITED SIKHS Volunteers Distribute Humanitarian Aid at Grace Fellowship Church

Immediately following the storm, the global humanitarian non-profit affiliated with the United Nations partnered with local Baptist churches and other faith-based organizations throughout the state, including the YMCA and American Red Cross, to provide bottled water, warm meals, baby formula, clothing, blankets, flashlights and canned food supply. Thousands of residents came from the far-reaching coastal regions of North Carolina to receive aid provided by UNITED SIKHS at the following distribution centers/shelters:

• Food Lion Complex (Chadbourn)
• Fairmont High School (Fairmont)
• Morgan Elementary School (Gold Hill)
• J.F. Hurley Family YMCA (Salisbury)
• Mt. Olive Baptist Church (Whiteville)
• Grace Fellowship Church (Tabor City)
• Grace Fellowship Church (Tabor City)
• Sandy Grove Baptist Church (Lumberton)
• Lumberton High School (Lumberton)
• Butler Branch Missionary Baptist Church (Fair Bluff)

In addition to this work, UNITED SIKHS volunteers in Charlotte partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank to help package 6,250 meals for families in need. The organization is calling for additional donations and support to continue reaching those in need. Below are our distrubtion videos:

Morgan Elementary in Gold Hill Donation Video

J.F. Hurley Family YMCA in Salisbury Donation Drop Off Video

Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Fair Bluff Donation Drop Off Video

Severe flooding and mass power outages remain, affecting thousands of families.Due to widespread food and water shortages across many grocery stores, including Walmart, UNITED SIKHS Director Bhupinder Singh along with volunteers from Raleigh-Durham drove 100+ miles to continue distributing aid across the hard-hit coastal neighborhoods.

According to environmentalists, the storm has left a toxic legacy in the Carolinas due to a flooded coal ash dump into the Cape Fear River near Wilmington and dozens of overflowing hog-waste lagoons. Last week, environmentalists found Goldsboro’s drinking water source, the Neuse River, registering arsenic levels 18 times higher than state standards. Public health officials fear that 160,000 people could be at risk of contracting life-threating diseases in the coming days.

“Hurricane Florence completely ravaged much of the Carolinas,” said Rajesh Singh, UNITED SIKHS Operations Manager. “In times of disaster, it is important to remember the long-standing issues that will remain long after the storm is gone. It has been a blessing to see so many interfaith partnerships and donations help Carolinians in need. As Sikh scriptures teach, we will continue to work together with our Baptist and Christian partners to recognize the human race as one and serve those in need.”

For the next phase of humanitarian aid deployment, UNITED SIKHS will set up distribution sites in Jones and Duplin counties to reach the underserved rural areas and senior citizen population. We would like to thank Sikh International Council USA whose members came from Canada & Virginia to bring food, supplies, clothes and blankets for emergency distribution. UNITED SIKHS volunteers distributing these supplies at Grace Fellowship Church (Great Grace Church) in Tabor, North Carolina. We were able to get supplies locally with the help of the donations of our supporters. Please suppport and strengthen the team by joining UNITED SIKHS as a volunteer or by donating to ongoing relief efforts.

Issued by:
Gurvinder Singh
Sikhaid Director, UNITED SIKHS
E:sikhaid@unitedsikhs.org