THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 26, 1996 TAG: 9602240222
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHRISTOPHER DINSMORE, BUSINESS WEEKLY
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
If you're a merchant seaman from abroad and you have to get stuck in the United States, you might hope to be stranded in Newport News.
There you'd be taken care of by Alice Reese Thomas, director of the International Seamen's Friend House of Newport News. The Seamen's Friend House helps sailors visiting Newport News and provides aid to seamen in trouble.
The North American Maritime Ministry Association recently honored Thomas as Port Chaplain of the Year for her labors last year.
Thomas drew international attention to the house last year by helping the ill-fated, 17-man crew of the Taxiarchis, a Greek-owned, Cyprus-flagged bulker carrying a load of sugar, that broke down after sailing from Puerto Rico, limped into Hampton Roads in June 1994 and was abandoned by its owners as its expenses soared.
The crew was stranded in Newport News for nearly a year before they were flown home. The Seamen's Friend House provided the sailors with food, medicine, water, shelter and some diversion while their fate was sorted out by the U.S. District Court in Norfolk.
Thomas also oversaw the house's purchase of a new home. Its landlord raised the rent, so Thomas decided to raise money to buy its own site in an old building at 2901 Huntington Ave. in Newport News.
Thomas was also cited by the London-based International Transport Workers Federation for her work with seafarers.
``I didn't do it alone,'' Thomas said. ``I've gotten a lot of wonderful help from people throughout Tidewater and all over Virginia.'' by CNB