From Burlco to Asheville: Knights’ pull together to help hurricane victims
February 28, 2025 at 10:36 a.m.
As the rebuilding and recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene continue in Asheville, N.C., residents there can take heart knowing that they have friends in Burlington County, New Jersey, who were more than willing to pray for the impacted community and lend a helping hand.
In late January, about a dozen members of the Burlington County Chapter of the Knights of Columbus hosted a drive on the campus of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport, nearly filling a large trailer with donated blankets, sleeping bags, new clothes, cases of water, non-perishable foods, medicines and other items to send to North Carolina.
Martin Gottel, chapter president, explained that the chapter’s Knights appreciate opportunities to work on projects that involve the community and garner the help of other parishes. For the North Carolina collection, he said donations were mostly provided by members of several councils including Hainesport and Moorestown as well as from the county's Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
The Asheville area endured widespread flooding and other calamities including tornadoes and landslides resulting from the Sept. 27 hurricane. The Burlington County Chapter’s outreach efforts for Asheville were part of a larger effort organized by the New Jersey Knights of Columbus. Neal Cullen, communication chair for the statewide group, noted that within two weeks after the hurricane, the state group’s Disaster Relief Drive had been created with the goal of offering support “to our brother Knights and residents of North Carolina and Florida.”
Members of the Burlington County Chapter of the Knights of Columbus pose for a photo in the trailer they helped to load with necessities to be taken to hurricane victims in Asheville, N.C. Courtesy photo
The decision was made to assist North Carolina where “the situation was dire,” he said. “They were shoveling out what houses were left and urgently needed the clean-up materials, food and clothing. The list of their material needs was immediately made available on the website: https://njkofc.com/disaster-relief.
Cullen said the New Jersey Knights, including the Burlington County Chapter, responded with more than 60,000 pounds of materials that have been transported and delivered to Knights of Columbus in North Carolina. Monetary donations for both North Carolina and Florida also surpassed $60K, with the majority of dollars going to North Carolina.
Cullen added that at the Knights’ state meeting in December, the State Deputy of North Carolina, Sergio Miranda, presented Ray Sands, New Jersey State Deputy, “with a framed North Carolina flag in appreciation of all the support from the New Jersey Councils.”
State Deputy of North Carolina Sergio Miranda, left, presents New Jersey State Deputy Ray Sands with a framed North Carolina flag as a sign of appreciation for the support the New Jersey Knights of Columbus councils provided for hurricane victims. Courtesy photo
Related Stories
Friday, December 05, 2025
E-Editions
Events
As the rebuilding and recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene continue in Asheville, N.C., residents there can take heart knowing that they have friends in Burlington County, New Jersey, who were more than willing to pray for the impacted community and lend a helping hand.
In late January, about a dozen members of the Burlington County Chapter of the Knights of Columbus hosted a drive on the campus of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport, nearly filling a large trailer with donated blankets, sleeping bags, new clothes, cases of water, non-perishable foods, medicines and other items to send to North Carolina.
Martin Gottel, chapter president, explained that the chapter’s Knights appreciate opportunities to work on projects that involve the community and garner the help of other parishes. For the North Carolina collection, he said donations were mostly provided by members of several councils including Hainesport and Moorestown as well as from the county's Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
The Asheville area endured widespread flooding and other calamities including tornadoes and landslides resulting from the Sept. 27 hurricane. The Burlington County Chapter’s outreach efforts for Asheville were part of a larger effort organized by the New Jersey Knights of Columbus. Neal Cullen, communication chair for the statewide group, noted that within two weeks after the hurricane, the state group’s Disaster Relief Drive had been created with the goal of offering support “to our brother Knights and residents of North Carolina and Florida.”
Members of the Burlington County Chapter of the Knights of Columbus pose for a photo in the trailer they helped to load with necessities to be taken to hurricane victims in Asheville, N.C. Courtesy photo
The decision was made to assist North Carolina where “the situation was dire,” he said. “They were shoveling out what houses were left and urgently needed the clean-up materials, food and clothing. The list of their material needs was immediately made available on the website: https://njkofc.com/disaster-relief.
Cullen said the New Jersey Knights, including the Burlington County Chapter, responded with more than 60,000 pounds of materials that have been transported and delivered to Knights of Columbus in North Carolina. Monetary donations for both North Carolina and Florida also surpassed $60K, with the majority of dollars going to North Carolina.
Cullen added that at the Knights’ state meeting in December, the State Deputy of North Carolina, Sergio Miranda, presented Ray Sands, New Jersey State Deputy, “with a framed North Carolina flag in appreciation of all the support from the New Jersey Councils.”
State Deputy of North Carolina Sergio Miranda, left, presents New Jersey State Deputy Ray Sands with a framed North Carolina flag as a sign of appreciation for the support the New Jersey Knights of Columbus councils provided for hurricane victims. Courtesy photo