Warmest April we've ever known
Meet April Thompson, one of the most amazing people in our community.
To meet the needs of big and small, she has the will to find a way
A couple of years ago we started a new holiday tradition here. We call it the 12 Days of Christmas and it's our way of honoring the truly wonderful people in the Chapel Hill area. After we asked members of the community to nominate one of their heroes to receive $1,000 in free car maintenance, we chose 12 people whose stories of service and triumph touched us the most. That's how we met April Thompson.
It all started after a big storm
April has an inspiring commitment to providing support and resources to people in need. After Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of central and coastal North Carolina with heavy rainfall and flooding, she founded Orange County Strong NC to help.
“I woke up one morning and said, ‘I have to do something,’” Thompson said. “They don't have water, they don't have resources. I decided to start by filling my personal car with supplies to put away."
Day after day, Thompson delivered food, water, and other resources to those hardest hit by the storm. Not once did her faith waver.
A hurricane is a big, dramatic event, but there are so many little storms and so many ways in which the tide of events can overwhelm us. So April continued the work of Orange County Strong, focusing on helping people throughout Chapel Hill County and Orange County.
"We're just a group of people in the community, not a non-profit organization," Thompson said.
And it continues in a lasting legacy of compassion
With this group of people, April raised enough donations to heat the house of a single mother in the dead of winter. She funded the headstone for the veteran's grave. She collects backpacks of school supplies for local schools. Last Christmas, she helped 84 families put presents under the tree.
“This is a labor of love. It’s not easy, it’s very stressful at times,” Thompson said. "At the end of the day, it's the one thing I'm most proud of in my life."
Orange County Strong started in 2016, but the love has much deeper roots.
“I just grew up in a good family — a very good family — and I was always taught to give money back to those in need and never forget where you come from,” Thompson said.
In 2016, her father, a Hillsborough native and social activist, passed away. Since then, Thompson's mission has been to honor her father's legacy by continuing where he started.
As she continues this legacy, her big heart captures the value of compassion throughout our community. From the bottom of our hearts, April, we are honored to congratulate you.
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