When Bruton Sowers learned of the sexual assault of a young local girl, he knew he had to do something about it.
“She’s a 6-year-old girl — that’s it in a nutshell — who didn’t do anything to anybody. It’s not about the mom or dad or anybody,” Sowers said. “She’s just a 6-year-old girl.”
He added, “It’s a shame that it takes bad things like that to bring a community together to do something. It would have been nice if something could have happened way before now that could have prevented what’s happened.”
Sowers, a deacon in the Bethel Free Will Baptist Church, roped in his pastor, Chris Truett, and they’ve partnered with GroundBreakers Ministries Pastor Sherri Ezzell to pool the community’s resources for a girl in need.
“The reason they’re trying to raise funds is to help her get out of the place — she’s having to live in the place where (the assault) took place,” Ezzell said. “They’re getting free counseling from Vidant in Greenville, where she had her surgery, and those people suggested she not live in the same house where it happened, for her emotional health.”
The alleged suspect in the attack, Michael Wayne Edmundson, is charged with first degree rape, indecent liberties with a child, indecent liberties with a child with lewd and lascivious conduct, sexual offense in a parental role and child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.
He was scheduled to appear in Lenoir County District Court on Thursday and returns to court on Aug. 15.
“The main donation that’s come in so far has come from Bethel — our ministry has donated $500, and what we’re trying to do is get local churches involved, other ministries involved,” Ezzell said. “It’s a grassroots effort, so there’s a lot of people who are friends with the family that know them who are trying to come together.”
She mentioned that the donations are tax deductable and people can obtain a tax donation letter if necessary. The donations are going into what’s been named the “Angel’s Wings” fund. Once the girl in the recent incident is helped, the intention is to use the fund to assist other children.
“The whole premise is to help these little kids fly, to get away from the situations they’re in, to help them go higher and come out of those problems,” Ezzell said.
Donations can be sent to Angel’s Wings, c/o GroundBreakers Ministries, 3110 Rouse Road, Kinston, N.C. 28504, and they can also be dropped off at The Paint Station at 1140 U.S. 258 in Kinston, across from Sale Auto Mall.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.
How To Help
To donate to the Angel’s Wings fund, make out a check to: Angel’s Wings, c/o GroundBreakers Ministries, 3110 Rouse Road, Kinston, N.C. 28504. Each donation is tax-deductable. For more information, visit facebook.com/angelswingssupport
