Fayetteville lifts spirits in subdivision hard-hit by flooding
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- It's been four weeks since Hurricane Matthew swept through Fayetteville. That's why the Fayetteville Police Department brought the community together to let residents of Creeks Edge Townhomes know that they weren't forgotten.
Creeks Edge was hit extremely hard by Matthew. Just two weeks ago, residents were still living without power because they were unable to make the necessary repairs to get it turned back on.
The subdivision is one that's been particularly important to the police department's Crime Prevention Unit.
During the summer, FPD held a bike giveaway as a means to connect police and civilians. But since the storm, police haven't been able to make contact with many of the residents they established a relationship with.
Friday's event featured a bounce house, free food, clothing and resources as a means to draw displaced community members back to Creeks Edge to let them know that the community is here to help.
The homecoming was heartfelt both for Crime Prevention Specialist Connie King and 5-year-old Essan, one of her mentees.
"It's because of Essan and the other children and residents that are here," King said. "We care and we have not forgotten about them and we are not going to forget about them. And we're going to continue to bring awareness over here."
FEMA was also on hand providing assistance and resources to those in the community. Gander Mountain donated sleeping bags while law enforcement picked up debris from the streets. Former military Captain Darry Whitaker says he couldn't imagine spending a holiday dedicated to honoring his service anywhere else.
"Folks are in need, I couldn't think of any better way than to serve the community on Veteran's Day"
Special help from Washington also arrived. Sen. Thom Tillis stopped through to assess the need. He says he looks forward to seeing the community completely recover.
"We saw a lot of heartbreaking stories today but we also but we also saw some stories of hope and we're going to do our part today," Tillis said.
