CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 57 When it rains, it drains! Happy Holidays from Sullivan's Highland Funeral Service & Crematory 910.484.8108 | 610 Ramsey Street | Fayetteville, NC The Kindest Gift You Can Give... Would your family know what to do in the event of your death? Have you made your wishes clear? Would funeral costs be a burden to your family members? One of the kindest gifts you could give your family is to make your own funeral arrangements before they are needed. Having the decisions made before then can reduce confusion and family discord and allow your family to focus on the grieving process. Meet with one of our experienced funeral directors to ensure that your preferences are documented and give your family the peace of mind that they are following your wishes when the time comes. Standing Left to Right: Matthew Herndon, Lonnie Hall, Edward Mercer, Hank Stewart, Robert Renegar Seated Left to Right: Bob Sullivan, Allen Stapleton and removing anything that had been in touch with water so mold would not be- gin to grow. Ruthie said the mood is still very hopeful in the community. "Everyone has been part of the team, ready to go and willing to serve. We are going to restore hope to our families. eir homes will be restored. It's not going to be today or to- morrow or next week, but it will happen." Latosha Quick, a resident in Habitat Village said for her the whole experience was very scary. In a matter of hours, her neighborhood was completely washed out. "It's like something you see on TV, but you never think it would really happen to you." Trash cans moved about freely in the strong current. Her biggest concern at the time was caring for her mother and the three children she was watching. Since no one could swim, she said "my biggest fear was that no one would make it, but we all did." ey had to brave the strong current and the cold murky water which was up to their chins. Children escaped on their backs and two men came to help them. "We only had to go a few feet, but in that water, it felt like miles." Latosha is quick to be grateful. "I know we lost our house and everything is gone, but we are alive. It could be worse. Look at Lumberton. Look at Haiti. We could be burying one of our family members. I am so thankful that no matter what happened, we have our lives." Danielle McLean, Legal & Compliance Officer of the Lumbee Tribe in North Caro - lina, said, "People have lost everything. ey've lost homes, businesses...everything has been washed away or destroyed. Right now, we are providing basic human needs like food and water and blankets. Right now everyone is going into recovery mode." Jenny Bell, a Communications team member at the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau said that she worked hard to give out accurate information to visitors and local citizens; many events were can - celled or re-scheduled. "We were fielding so many calls about the re-routing on I-95, too. We were grateful when it re-opened. People kept coming in saying, 'I'm on a detour and I don't even know where I'm going.'" As she moves on with her day-to-day life aer the storm, Jenny said, "I think I'm mindful of people who work behind the scenes, that do so much that we will never even know about—who are rebuilding the city, like

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