Richard Weeks, the site coordinator for Baptists on Mission’s Charity Rebuild Center and director of missions for the Eastern Baptist Association, has been awarded a Governor’s Volunteer Service Award.

The award honors individuals, groups and businesses from all 100 North Carolina counties that make a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service in a variety of categories. The award program was created by the Office of the Governor in 1979 to recognize North Carolina’s most dedicated volunteers. Each county can nominate up to 10 volunteers.

Weeks received a “Director of Volunteers” award for 2020, and he was recognized for his service in the faith-based entity, adult, individual and disaster categories for Duplin County. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, 2020 award recipients were not recognized until recently. Weeks was among those recognized by the Duplin County Services for the Aged during a reception held in early June.

“I am honored to be recognized for this award, but I don’t think I’m the only one who deserves it,” Weeks said. “This award recognizes the effort of everyone who has worked hard in the ongoing efforts to help those who are still recovering from Hurricane Florence.”

“I do not think there is a single person more deserving of this award than Richard Weeks.” — Paul Langston

Through the Charity Rebuild Center, Weeks and his wife, Tammy, work with local churches from across North Carolina and beyond who send volunteers to work on a variety of missions projects in the community.

The center, located near Rose Hill, N.C., was founded in 2019 in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, which brought catastrophic flooding to the state and contributed to 40 deaths. The center is housed in the building that was the former Charity Middle School.

The facility can house up to 200 volunteers per day, and it serves as a base of operations for disaster relief and rebuild ministry. Since the center became operational, Weeks has helped coordinate more than 200 home rebuilds and other projects.

Weeks and other officials anticipate that rebuild efforts related to Hurricane Florence will continue for about two more years.

Paul Langston, missions mobilization coordinator for Baptists on Mission, nominated Weeks for the award. Langston said Weeks has a “servant’s heart” and is committed to continuing to serve people who are still experiencing the effects of Hurricane Florence.

“I do not think there is a single person more deserving of this award than Richard Weeks,” Langston said. “It is not an exaggeration to say that he works 60 hours a week in his volunteer role. In fact, that is an understatement.”

In addition to serving together as volunteers at the rebuild center, Weeks and his wife, Tammy, serve together with the Eastern Baptist Association. Richard has served as the associational mission strategist since 2015. In May 2017, Tammy began serving alongside her husband as the association’s ministries director and prayer coordinator.

The Weeks said they are thankful for the opportunity to answer God’s call on their lives by serving the people in their community.

“It is an honor and a privilege to serve in our community,” Tammy said. “Our goal is that God would get all the glory and our community would be blessed.”