Photo By Senior Airman Ashleigh Pavelek | Elizabeth Teal and Louisa Adam volunteer serving food to Columbia residents displaced...... read more read more
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CHAPIN, S.C. - Lake Murray Presbyterian Church transformed their gymnasium into a staging area, providing relief to Columbia shelters and residents, Oct. 5, 2015.
Many residents of the greater Columbia community have been forced to seek refuge following the devastating floods throughout the state that were generated by storms from Hurricane Joaquin.
“Right now, the immediate needs of the people are being met,” said Cynthia Sheppard, member of the church and wife of a former U.S. Air Force colonel. “We have hygiene kits, bedding and blankets, and food and water.”
The gymnasium began with almost nothing when the church opened its doors. The continuous flow of generous donations provided by residents has stocked the church to keep them distributing essential home needs to citizens throughout this crisis.
Members of the church community are sorting much-needed items for residents, but they are not the only ones pitching in to help. Local businesses and residents are using their vehicles to distribute supplies to people stranded in their homes and at shelters. The church also turned to social media and its website to recruit volunteers from all areas of Columbia.
“This is my first experience being part of a natural disaster,” said Shelby Ledbetter, a 16- year-old volunteer from Irmo. “To help someone who is helpless is an amazing feeling.”
The voluntary evacuation of Northeast Columbia residents, due to the potential failure of the Beaver Creek dam, caused the A.C. Flora High School shelter to seek assistance from Lake Murray Presbyterian Church for resources.
“We called the church for supplies, and they had a truck delivered to us within an hour,” said Darla Egger, the liaison between the A.C. Flora High School superintendent and local government authorities. “Their response and generosity have been unbelievable.”
Currently, more than 45 truckloads of supplies have been delivered to assist Columbia shelters, including St. Andrew’s Middle School, A.C. Flora High School and Lower Richland High School.
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2015 17:55 |
| Story ID: | 178520 |
| Location: | CHAPIN, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Chapin Church Flooded with Donations, Provides Relief, by SrA Ashleigh Pavelek, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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