{"id":3313,"date":"2024-10-04T20:22:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T20:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/100.28.115.227\/?p=3313"},"modified":"2025-01-30T19:14:27","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T19:14:27","slug":"desperate-for-power-in-aiken-sc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salarmyeds.org\/index.php\/2024\/10\/04\/desperate-for-power-in-aiken-sc\/","title":{"rendered":"Desperate for Power in Aiken, SC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Aiken, SC (10\/4\/2024)<\/strong>–Jannie Cheatham, a dedicated employee and Corps member for The Salvation Army of Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell and Edgefield Counties in South Carolina, examines her limited food supplies. She sees what she has in the pantry and refrigerator, and from that, she determines what food to prepare for the day. Many in the community are relying on The Salvation Army in the wake of Hurricane Helene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s lunch menu: shredded chicken and noodles with freshly baked cornbread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many in the area with no power, they have been surviving on peanut butter sandwiches or crackers. Their first hot meal following the destruction left in the wake of Helene came from one of The Salvation Army\u2019s canteens or food delivery trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aiken, S.C., and the surrounding counties, according to officials, was the hardest hit area in the state, on the eastern side of Helene\u2019s eye wall. When Helene unleashed her fury, she came with 7-12 inches of rain and winds estimated to have reached 100 miles per hour. As a result, nearly a third of the county remains without power a week after the storm. Many homes have been damaged and some destroyed altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By God\u2019s providence, The Salvation Army Corps in Aiken was spared from loss of power, despite the surrounding neighborhood and 98 percent of the county losing power. For this reason, The Salvation Army was able to respond in the immediate aftermath. From the Corps kitchen, with one stove, Cheatham and an army of staff of volunteers prepare each day for reaching out in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Salvation Army has been on the ground serving here from the beginning; it has provided more than 12,000 meals since Friday, Sept. 27 at multiple locations. Many of the neighborhoods The Salvation Army is serving were not only the hardest hit, they were already struggling before the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople barely making it by have now been pushed over the edge,\u201d said Captain Michael Good, Corps Officer for The Salvation Army in Aiken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good accompanies staff and volunteers to strategic locations across the region for lunch service. You can find him hugging residents, sharing a reassuring smile and providing an even more critical service than feeding: prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People arrive at the KJ\u2019s Market in Aiken for a hot meal, many not expecting power to be restored at their homes for days, or even weeks. It\u2019s obvious The Salvation Army\u2019s presence is a spark of hope in an otherwise desperate situation. But, the gratitude is evident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGod bless y\u2019all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you; I have six kids at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGod bless you, I really mean it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good shares an encouraging smile. \u201cHow are you holding up? You doing okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying, I\u2019m taking it a day at time,\u201d he hears in response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good stops in the moment and prays for God to provide peace and comfort. He asks God to be with the power crews and linemen and for power to be restored to homes quickly. Another resident drives by to pick up meals for her family, and Good reaches through the car window to hold hands and spend a moment in prayer. She prays for Good in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat prayer does is allow people to feel seen and heard. Hot meals do something for the body. Prayer does something for the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People are desperate for power to be restored at their homes. Today, they are experiencing a different kind of power \u2013 the power of prayer in their lives. A simple act of kindness, just stopping for a moment to pray, makes people light up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can find some food, water and ice. It\u2019s hard to find hope. The Salvation Army brings hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salvation Army crews return to the Corps building from serving more than 1,100 meals at lunch and they immediately begin planning and preparing for what’s next, ensuring they are reaching the communities that need it the most. Good\u2019s phone rings constantly as he coordinates with government agencies and partners. Volunteers and staff \u2013 including Jannie Cheatham \u2013 clean up from lunch and take inventory of what\u2019s on hand in preparation for the next meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s on the menu tomorrow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For certain, it will be a warm meal for the body and hope for the soul.<\/p>\n

Brett Rinehart<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aiken, SC (10\/4\/2024)–Jannie Cheatham, a dedicated employee and Corps member for The Salvation Army of Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell and Edgefield Counties in South Carolina, examines her limited food supplies. 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