LCC K-9 COMFORT DOG TEAMS OFFER CARE TO WOMEN, FIRST RESPONDERS, VETERANS IN ASHEVILLE, N.C.

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry teams for Faith Comfort Dog (St. Stephens Hickory, N.C.) Seth Comfort Dog (Eternal Shepherd Seneca, S.C.), Zoara Comfort Dog (Island Lutheran Hilton Head, S.C.), and Peace Comfort Dog (Trinity Orlando, FL) spent last week sharing God’s love and support to residents in Asheville, N.C.

The four LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry teams visited ABCCM Transformation Village ~ Women’s Shelter, offering warmth and companionship to residents and bringing smiles to their children’s faces. For many of the mothers, it was a quiet moment of peace.

“My heart goes out to these women who are so courageous,” one LCC Comfort Dog handler said. “I am so proud of them for taking the necessary steps to improve their life and look forward to returning to begin to build new relationships with them.”

Zoara, Seth, Peace, and Faith also visited Asheville Fire and Rescue to thank the courageous first responders who have worked tirelessly in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The Comfort Dog teams brought a bit of joy and calm to the heroes, who have selflessly given so much to serve and protect their community.

The Comfort Dog Ministry team also had the special opportunity to connect with online friends from the Asheville area who were impacted by Helene. The bonds of online community can lead to moments of prayer, hugs, and shared hope when meeting face to face, handlers said. God is good bringing people together in unexpected ways and turning virtual connections into real-life blessings.

As one handler expressed, “On Friday, we started with a morning with [Asheville resident] JoEllen, who walked us through her plight during and after the storm. She shared how God has been in control. She also detailed the region’s devastation and what is happening to recover. Her deep love for Jesus and the Comfort Dog Ministry was evident.”

Another handler reflected, “I have to say this morning with JoEllen had more of an impact on me than I expected. Her faith in Jesus as her Savior was amazing, and it made me think about my faith and if I would have the courage in my faith she showed that night. This ministry not only touches the people we interact with, but it impacts us too. I’ll be telling everyone about the positive faith-based people I met in Asheville this week.”

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry teams also spent time with former service members of ABCCM Veterans Rehabilitative Home, who have been displaced by the hurricane. About 160 veterans are temporarily staying at a nearby motel, since their facility was destroyed by flooding. Being present with these veterans, listening to their stories, and sharing prayers was humbling and inspiring for the handlers.

Several handlers reflected on these amazing men and women who served our country:

• “We met with displaced veterans who lost their entire facility has it was swept away by rushing water. It was an eclectic mix of older vets and younger vets. Some with physical injuries some with emotional scars and some who have little hope. They are being housed in a local motel across the river from their former home. They loved on Zoara, Seth, Peace, and Faith Comfort Dogs and received so much love in return.  All of them asked for our prayers.”
  
  
• “Visiting with the veterans was definitely an eye opener for me. These men and women have been through so much and have also dealt with so much loss in their lives and yet they greeted us with smiles and were upbeat, thankful they were safe and had a place to stay.”

• “Of all the groups we met with the veterans probably had the most reasons to be bitter, but they weren’t even with their current living conditions.”
  
  
• “As with every deployment we always see many ‘God moments.’ For us, the visit with the veterans that had all been displaced by the flooding was the visit that stood out. The veterans we talked to showed amazing resilience, were extremely grateful for having a place to stay, for getting out safely (even without their possessions) and through it all still thanked us profusely for coming to visit.” 
  
  
• “At the VA Rehab site, my heart broke for them. They gave their all for us and they were so appreciative of where they are at.”  

LCC Comfort Dog Ministry teams will continue to uplift the communities impacted by Hurricane Helene in prayer because the road to recovery is a long one. They need God’s strength, hope, and love to keep them moving forward.

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