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Following a shooting in the community of Frederiksted, on St. Croix, that left firefighter Rhydel Robinson hospitalized, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in the neighborhood made a contribution toward his medical expenses.

According to the Virgin Islands Police Department’s (V.I.P.D.) Public Information Officer, Glen Dratte, six individuals, including fire fighter Rhydel Robinson, were injured as a result of the shooting.  It was noted that the perpetrator appeared unconcerned about the number of vulnerable civilians present.

The SDA Church is well-known for opening its doors to persons in need and for recognizing some unsung heroes in the community, such as police officers, Emergency Room (ER) staff, 911-operators, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s) and firefighters. The pastor of the Faith Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Wynfield Ambrose, said, “Although there was no loss of life, the church was happy to contribute to the needs of the fire service. Robinson was severely injured during the incident [and is] suffering.  It’s who we are - we are so pleased that our church and members can move into action in order to assist the people of the community. We want to continue supporting their effort and pray that their families will feel the love we share.”

The local fire chief and firefighters, on duty, accepted a $500-check, on behalf of the injured firefighter.  The Chief responded, “We are delighted at your generosity. We are thankful to the members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for their contribution and believe that it will help in taking care of his medical bills.”

The Faith SDA Church has been intentional about making a positive difference through initiatives such as adopting the community’s fire station.  During the year the church donated fruit baskets and care packages to the firefighters. The assistance rendered to the injured firefighter was an effort by the church’s Youth Department to express gratitude, as Pastor Ambrose shared, “Our donation to the injured firefighter is another way of showing our appreciation to those who care. We wanted to do more by making a difference in our Frederiksted community. Therefore, we made the decision to make a financial contribution in the amount of five hundred dollars to help with the medical expenses of firefighter Rhydel Robinson.  In the midst of all the violence and insecurity, let’s continue to bring rays of sunshine to our communities.”