Updates from Belville, H2GO, BFA & Brunswick County

As our landscape continues to change daily due to COVID-19, we wanted to share with you some local information from Brunswick Family Assistance, H2GO, The Town of Belville and Brunswick County.

Keep in mind that restrictions and guidelines are changing rapidly.

Brunswick Family Assistance, H2GO Team Up to Offer Delivery Services to Northern Brunswick County
Brunswick Family Assistance (BFA) and Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2GO have teamed up to provide food pantry delivery services to people in Northern Brunswick County who do not have the means to travel to BFA’s food pantry. This will provide more families across Northern Brunswick County the opportunity to have the essentials delivered to them during this time of need.

“Before H2GO reached out to us, we had received an inquiry about home delivery options,” said BFA Executive Director Stephanie Bowen. “We are willing to do anything we can to help. Having volunteers available and willing to help is amazing.”

This program will be on a case-by-case basis, catering to those who cannot or should not be traveling at this time. Individual needs will be assessed by BFA staff, who will then coordinate with H2GO’s PIO Tyler Wittkofsky to setup delivery times.

“We wanted to do our part to give back to the community,” said H2GO Executive Director Bob Walker. “We know that some of our community cannot travel at this time and some should not be traveling because of their increased risk. This was a great opportunity for us to help a great organization.”

Both of BFA’s locations are currently closed to the public. Families or individuals in need of this service located in the Northern Brunswick County area are encouraged to contact BFA’s Leland location by calling 910-408-1700. BFA will also have volunteer and staff available for delivery in the southern end of the county as well. Residents in need of delivery services are encouraged to call BFA’s Shallotte office at 910-754-4766.

Town of Belville Takes Additional Coronavirus Measures
Visits to Belville Town Hall to Become By Appointment Only Starting Tuesday; Citizens with Questions Asked to Call North Carolina Coronavirus Helpline at (866) 462-3821 or Brunswick County Helpline at (910) 253-2339; Brunswick Riverwalk at Belville Open but Playground is Closed; Trails, Fishing Pier, & Farmers Market Remain Open.

The Town of Belville provided an update on the status of its response to the Coronavirus. The town is taking additional social distancing measures. As of yesterday, Tuesday, March 24th at 8am, the town will accept visitors by appointment only. Please call (910) 371-2456 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am and 4:30pm to make an appointment. They are also encouraging the use of our online services at www.townofbelville.com.

Belville also announced the following update about the status of the town’s public venues. As always, you can visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BelvilleNC/ for updates.

The Brunswick Riverwalk at Belville is open, however, the playground areas, picnic shelters and the Duke Energy Education Pavilion are closed and blocked off from public use.

The trails, fishing pier, and Farmers Market are open. However, the use of social distancing practices is encouraged by those using the facilities.

“Everyone needs to continue taking the necessary steps to limit the spread of the virus,” said Belville Mayor Mike Allen.

The Brunswick Riverwalk at Belville is open, however, the playground areas, picnic shelters and the Duke Energy Education Pavilion are closed and blocked off from public use. The trails, fishing pier, and Farmers Market are open.

Citizens with Questions are Asked to Call North Carolina Coronavirus Helpline at (866) 462-3821 or Brunswick County Helpline at (910) 253-2339.

Brunswick County Issues State of Emergency
Brunswick County Board of Commissioners Chairman Frank Williams has issued a state of emergency due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

A copy of the declaration is on Brunswick County’s website. The declaration covers unincorporated Brunswick County. Brunswick County Government offices remain open for normal business hours and public access to services is subject to reasonable restrictions as determined by the county manager with consultation of the health director to limit unnecessary in-person contacts.

It also restricts public access in accordance with Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order No. 117 as further amended by Executive Order No. 120 restricting mass gatherings of 50 people or more and states that the County will follow any future amendments from the governor concerning mass gatherings.

It does not include restrictions or prohibitions involving evacuations, curfews, alcohol or weapons.

“The COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly throughout the nation and world, and I implore all Brunswick County residents to take it seriously,” Chairman Frank Williams said. “This is not a time to panic, but to finalize preparations and take appropriate precautions. As of today all known cases in Brunswick County are travel-related, and at this time there do not appear to be any cases of community spread in Brunswick County. Let’s do our part to keep it that way. This means practicing social distancing, adhering to the directives issued by our state officials and beach towns, and going the extra mile to protect ourselves and those around us. Even if you feel fine, you don’t want to be the one who shares this virus with someone who is more vulnerable. Let’s all exercise the personal responsibility and common sense to do our part to stop the spread of this virus and minimize the chance of community spread in Brunswick County.”

“Additionally, given that all known COVID-19 cases in Brunswick County are travel-related, we strongly encourage residents to avoid non-essential travel outside the County and to refrain from inviting out-of-county guests to visit you. If you do travel and have prolonged exposure to others while traveling, we ask you to responsibly self-isolate for fourteen days upon return.”

If other measures become appropriate, this proclamation will be amended.

Brunswick County has prepared for the COVID-19 virus the past two months and has actively been working on response to the pandemic the past few weeks. The County opened a joint information center and initiated a partial activation of the emergency operations center Friday, March 13.

Brunswick County Government Offices remain open for business during normal business hours.