"They're not forgotten"

LCC staff, volunteers partner with Spartanburg County, SC, groups,
Lutheran organizations, and other agencies to bring tangible and spiritual care
​to a region still reeling from Hurricane Helene nearly 2 years after the storm

Last weekend’s community recovery outreach event in Spartanburg, SC, had something for everyone. ​

Jerome and Evelyn were grateful for their new shoes — two pairs with sturdy soles that weren’t falling apart and felt good on their feet. 

Hazel, a mere 106 years old, and her granddaughter Martha were touched by the warm smiles of strangers in their community, and the hot meal for lunch was a blessing. 

Teresa, who has been living in a camper in front of a house that was damaged almost 2 years ago and eventually torn down, took home toiletries, towels, first aid supplies, and a quilt. She’ll share her items with her adult children who moved out during the ordeal. But they'll be back together again — she is now in the queue for a rebuilt home. 

“The real help — the real gift — that LCC and others gave today was not just the things that were handed out, but a reminder [to residents] that they still exist, a reminder that we’re still here for them, a reminder that we’re still tracking their cases. That they’re not forgotten” said Lilia Millner of the Spartanburg County Emergency Management Department. 

At the Saturday event, Lutheran Church Charities staff and volunteers were among more than 80 helping hands who served hundreds of families still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which barreled through the Carolinas 21 months ago and left a wake of damaged homes, uprooted trees, and disrupted lives. 

Nearly 40 churches and a dozen Lutheran organizations — including LERT crews from multiple states — joined Spartanburg County personnel and national agencies United Way, American Red Cross, and others to meet some of the need of the community with spiritual care, emotional support, and a sense of hope for a brighter tomorrow.

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​Blankets, toys, bandages, and go-bags with everyday essentials were among the items LCC volunteers and donors contributed to the recovery event. For weeks, LCC supporters donated space heaters, cooling fans, and mold mitigation supplies from an Amazon Wish list. Spartanburg County staffers will distribute those items this week to the households who need them — just in time for a muggy summer. 

“These residents are receiving things to help them recover, but more than that, they’re walking away with bags filled with hope,” said Denise Snider, Director of LCC Cares Ministry, who coordinated a dozen event ambassadors who walked through the outreach marketplace with residents carrying their items. “We want them to be reminded of the care and comfort that Jesus has for all of us.”

No station provided that reminder like the Samaritan’s Feet’s, which featured 275 pairs of fresh sneakers and a foot-washing area. Residents could reserve their size in advance and then try them on at the event. 

Spartanburg native Tina and her teenage son Matthew were among the last to pick up new footwear. For Matthew, his new black, white, and gray shoes were a perfect fit — as he jumped to measure his leap near one of the gymnasium’s basketball hoops. 

For 9-year-old Grace, her pink sneakers were good for moonwalking and whatever else the summer would bring her way.

New shoes will help Francine, but the prayers and kindness are what she’ll remember most. 

“This is the first help I’ve gotten this year,” she told a shoefitter. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Located in the upstate part of South Carolina, Spartanburg was not built for a hurricane, Millner said. “The coast deals with that, we don’t. So when Helene came through, we were not prepared for a storm of that magnitude,” she admitted. “We struggled and the need was major. We had home damage, roof damage, tree damage, debris, mold mitigation, foundation issues.”

But volunteer crews, some affiliated with LERT, have steadily cleared debris and rebuilt 237 homes. And the donated cooling fans from LCC and other groups are on hand at just the right time. “Summer is starting and some people here don’t have working air conditioning. We’re so glad to be able to help them stay safe.”

For Spartanburg resident Tiffany, a few moments of peace with LCC’s K-9 Comfort Dogs was equally meaningful. As she stroked Comfort Dog Faith’s chin, she shared, “I lost my dog after the hurricane, and this reminded me of just how much I miss her.” Then she bent down and gave her a peck on the head.

Three K-9 Comfort Dogs from South Carolina and North Carolina made the trip — Faith (St. Stephens – Hickory, NC), Seth (Eternal Shepherd – Seneca, SC), and Zoara (CrossWaters Ministries/Island Lutheran – Hilton Head, SC). With their handlers, they set up in a corner of the gym for a full day of cuddles and hugs to give eventgoers a breather from the busy marketplace and the frustrations of a slow recovery. 

“It’s just nice to stop for a few minutes and not think about some of these other things,” Tiffany shared. 

Kyra Carbone, top dog for Seth, said the group saw all the emotions on Saturday. 

“We’ve seen tears, we’ve seen smiles, we’ve seen a lot of love shared with us,” she said. “Overall, it’s been a great day. We love being here.”

The Comfort Dogs were not part of the original event plan for Spartanburg County’s Millner, who pointed out that the dogs and handlers brought extra calm and friendliness that residents won’t soon forget. 

“It was incredible how many volunteers we had from different places and multiple groups, including the Comfort Dogs,” she said. “Some of the people here today came from out of state, and they all worked together! It was amazing to see the collaboration — it was incredible! So many friendships made. So many partnerships formed.”
 
And it took a lot of help to pull off an event of this size. Approximately 210 families attended with hundreds more on a list to be followed up. Nearly 300 meals were served, cooked up by the food truck crew from Hope Lutheran in Wake Forest, NC. Almost 300 sets of towels were distributed. More than 200 boxes of Band-Aids and first aid kits. More than 100 took home a floodbucket of mold and mildew mitigation supplies, along with bleach and cleaners. 

Lutheran Servants For Christ of the LCMS’s Southeastern District arranged for 300 quilts donated from Lutheran churches across the country. New church plant Resurrection Lutheran in Spartanburg passed them out, along with a personal invitation to attend services that weekend. LSC also prepared hygiene products and toiletries for hundreds of go-bags.   

LERT crews from Illinois and Wisconsin assembled backpacks for school-age children with games, art materials, and small toys. LCC Cares volunteers came from nearby North Carolina and far-away Missouri and Illinois. Hearts of Mercy & Compassion didn’t hand out any hearts on this deployment but the ministry sent helping hands from St. Stephens in Hickory, NC. 

Laura Bahlmann from St. Stephens served as an ambassador during the outreach and spent Friday setting up the shoe station and toy table.

“We had so many groups working together, which is what the Church really ought to be about,” she said. 

HMC volunteer Sadie Flowers also sorted shoes and worked the table of Bombas socks on Saturday. 

“This was my first time to serve and I really enjoyed it,” she said. “I’d like to do this again.”

LERT volunteer Dawn Werner of Holy Cross – Collinsville, IL, saw up close the emotional and spiritual impact the recovery event had.

“The takeaway is that somebody here cares for you and wants to give you hope,” she said. “One lady said, ‘I’ve always been a giver. I’m the one always giving. But today, I was able to receive.’ ”

LCC’s Snider adds: “[The residents who attended] are telling us how meaningful this is for them. Some are getting help for the first time, more than a year and a half after the hurricane. They’re telling us that their faith is renewed in the community and in people — but also in the church. They’re inspired to worship the Lord in the midst of heartache and hardship. And listen for what the Lord is calling their family to next. It’s helping them to understand where the Lord is in all of this.”