A Salvation Army team provided lunch and dinner today at a community shelter in Hohenwald, Tennessee. The shelter is run by a local non-profit, Hope Hohenwald, in a building provided by the city and has been open since the ice began to accumulate on Sunday. Tonya Woodward, President of Hope Hohenwald, said “For the first few days, we were entirely by ourselves. We are so glad to have some help from outside the community.”
The shelter has become a safe haven where those without homes or power can sleep, stay warm, and receive three meals a day. Staff and volunteers also run errands for necessities the residents might lack and provide transport twice a day to a local church where they can take showers. All toiletries and even clean clothes are provided for them.
Their first night in operation, they had 65 residents overnight. Last night, the number had dwindled to 29 as some of the surrounding communities had power restored. “Last night,” added Woodward, “we had a gentleman walk here in freezing temperatures after his propane ran out.”
In addition to the shelter, volunteers are canvassing neighborhoods in the area to provide assistance to anyone who cannot get to the shelter. Some have lost vehicles to downed trees or still have trees or ice blocking their roadways. Denise, who works for the city of Hohenwald, told the team about a young woman she had visited who asked her to check on an elderly neighbor. When she did, she discovered that he had just given the last bit of food he had in the house to his dog. Denise was able to provide him with food, not only for himself but also for his dog.
“What people need most is reassurance that they are seen and heard. They are our guests, and we want to treat them that way,” said Tonya. “Most people who are displaced don’t have family or other resources, so they are finding a family and community here.”
“Thank you so much for being here,” Tonya added. “We are seeing both the horrific and the heroic, but the people in this community are amazing.“
The Salvation Army is honored to serve alongside Hope Hohenwald and to fulfil the promise that “Hope is on The Way”.
