For generations, the people of East Rockingham have been some of the hardest-working, most resilient residents in all of Richmond County. Our community has raised families, supported local businesses, worked in the mills and industries that built this county, and contributed faithfully to the tax base that keeps our local government running.
Yet anyone who lives here or visits here can see a truth we’ve been forced to live with for far too long: East Rockingham is not receiving its fair share of support, services, or investment from the county.
Drive through Rockingham or Hamlet and you will see publicly supported programs, thriving community spaces, arts initiatives, senior services, and multiple organizations that benefit from stable, consistent help. Even small towns like Ellerbe have community centers and supported programs.
But when you cross into East Rockingham, those investments disappear.
We have no funded youth programs.
No regularly supported community facilities.
No cultural or arts initiatives.
No improvements to public spaces.
And outside of basic countywide services, our neighborhoods receive almost no targeted support at all.
Meanwhile, East Rockingham is home to some of the state’s most vulnerable residents: seniors living alone, families struggling through economic hardship, and young people who desperately need safe, structured places to learn, grow, and belong.
Despite this, our community continues to contribute — through property taxes, vehicle taxes, solid waste fees, sales tax, and in many cases, city water and sewer bills on top of everything else. East Rockingham families pay into the same system as everyone else. The problem is, we are not seeing the same level of return.
This is not about politics.
This is not about attacking county leaders.
And it’s certainly not about asking for special treatment.
This is about equity.
Other communities have infrastructure, supported facilities, youth opportunities, senior resources, and cultural programs. East Rockingham has been left behind. It has been overlooked, underserved, and, in far too many cases, forgotten.
Our residents deserve dignity.
Our seniors deserve better spaces.
Our children deserve programs and opportunities.
Our families deserve a clean, safe, supported environment.
And our community deserves a voice at the table.
To move forward, Richmond County must begin investing in East Rockingham with the same intention and commitment it gives to other districts. We do not need to start with grand projects or major capital spending. But we do need to start with something — a youth initiative, support for existing community spaces, senior resources, neighborhood improvements, or partnerships with local organizations already serving our people.
East Rockingham is part of Richmond County.
We contribute to its strength.
We deserve a fair share of its support.
For too long, the people of this community have watched others receive opportunities and investments we’ve never been offered. It’s time to change that. It’s time for a new chapter — one where East Rockingham is treated with the value, respect, and fairness that every community in our county deserves.
Matthew Davis is executive director of Richmond County Rescue Mission in East Rockingham.
