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South Carolina United Methodists step up after Hurricane Helene ravages region

By Jessica Brodie

Almost a month after Hurricane Helene ravaged the region, South Carolina United Methodists are continuing to reach out in Christian love, repairing homes, donating money and supplies and doing their best to be God’s hands and feet to people in need.

The Category 4 storm swept through the Southeast Sept. 26-27, flooding communities, uprooting trees, destroying roads and bridges, sweeping away homes, and ultimately claiming more than 230 lives, including 49 in South Carolina alone. It was thought to be the deadliest inland hurricane to impact South Carolina in history and knocked out power to millions of homes. Some were without power and water for weeks, though as of press time Oct. 25, only 314 homes were still without power in this state.

Nearly the entire western half of South Carolina—comprising 29 counties in total—was approved for individual and public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

But as the storm raged, and still now, South Carolina churches and individuals are stepping up to help in a variety of ways to help neighbors in need, donating supplies and money and helping with repairs and other assistance.

Teams of trained South Carolina United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Early Response Team members ventured hours after the storm, clearing away downed trees and tarping roofs as well as working on main egress roadways.

Early response efforts

ERTs responded in most hard-hit areas of the state, including Orangeburg County, Manning, Edgefield, Greenwood, Johnston, Spartanburg, Pelzer, Chesnee, Lyman, Duncan, Easley, Anderson, Clover, Lake Wylie, North Augusta and Aiken, as well as into Georgia.

Billy Robinson, ERT coordinator, said many portions of the state looked like a bomb went off.

“The hurricane toppled trees in the thousands if not more, from the mid portion of the state to the North Carolina and Georgia borders,” Robinson said. “Helene was a mega-storm that caused mega-damage that required mega-help.”

In the spirit of connectionalism, the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the UMC sent Chris Ackerman, its disaster response director, to help South Carolina disaster response ministries. Ackerman helped coordinate some responses and served on a site in Greenwood the day the Advocate visited, Oct. 9, where ERT members tarped roofs and helped one homeowner clear away massive tree trunks blocking his property.

Carol Jones, a member of Aldersgate UMC, Greenville, just became a trained ERT days prior, on Oct. 5, even as she had no power at her own home because of the storm. On Oct. 9, she joined others onsite in Greenwood helping with disaster response.

“I’m in a situation now where I want to give back. It’s great to give money and donate, but right now it’s more rewarding for me to be able to be hands-on in the help I offer,” Jones said. “I didn’t know I’d be helping this fast, but I’m glad to be here.”

Brian Waldrep, a member of St. Mark UMC, Greenwood, has responded on many ERT callouts. When asked how it felt to be responding in his own community after Helene, his voice choked with emotion.

“It’s a joy to be able to help,” Waldrep said.

Brad Chiles, a member of St. Mark, is one of the people whose homes ERT members helped the day the Advocate visited. Chiles said he was awake and sitting in a chair in his bedroom in the wee hours of Sept. 27 when huge oak trees fell on his home because of strong winds. One fallen oak pierced the roof and into his attic, causing items to fall into the room. Chiles held out his arm, showing where the lid of a heavy pot had fallen and scraped his arm.

“I never felt it was a close call at the time, but perhaps I should have,” Chiles told the Advocate, pointing up to the large hole in the ceiling above where he had been sitting.

He said he felt tremendously thankful he was able to get help after the storm and grateful the damage wasn’t worse. 

Trainings continue

Teams continue to help neighbors in need, even as the early response efforts shift into longer-term recovery.

In the aftermath of the disaster, ERT trainings were held in Spartanburg, Greenville and Blythewood. More trainings are being scheduled now. Held all day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for ERT renewals), the trainings come with UMCOR certification and will help you safely serve on a UMCSC Early Response Team. Lunch is also provided. Register and learn about future trainings at https://www.umcsc.org/ertregistration.

Those who are trained as an ERT are invited to volunteer. Email [email protected] or call 803-726-3106.

Donating items

South Carolina United Methodists can also help by donating supplies, such as water, nonperishable food, baby needs (formula, diapers, baby food, wipes) or UMCOR hygiene and cleaning kits.

Donations are being coordinated through the 12 districts throughout the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. They are as follows:

Also, donations have been collected at various large events, including the installation service Oct. 13 to welcome Bishop Leonard Fairley as well as at tri-district gatherings being held across South Carolina. Two more tri-district gatherings are scheduled for November: Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to noon at Trinity UMC, Blythewood (Columbia, Greenwood, Rock Hill) and Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at Edisto Fork UMC, Orangeburg (Charleston, Orangeburg, Walterboro). Anyone attending these is encouraged to bring supplies.

For what goes into an UMCOR hygiene or cleaning kit, visit https://umcmission.org/relief-supplies.

From charging stations to hot dog dinners

Churches across South Carolina have been doing what they can locally to meet needs, from feeding people to opening their doors so neighbors could cool down.

Mount Hebron UMC, West Columbia, offered up their space to neighbors without power, inviting them inside to shower and charge their phones or laptops.

Aldersgate UMC, Greenville, lost power after the hurricane and decided to host a community hot dog supper. They served more than 350 hot dogs with chips, cookies and drinks and served meals outside under pop-up tents.

“God put it all together. We may not have had power, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit,” said their pastor, the Rev. Amanda Richardson.

Belin Memorial UMC, Murrells Inlet, raised more than $13,000 for UMCOR to go directly to Helene relief.

Various districts began supply and water drives. For instance, in the Florence District, churches collected water and other supplies to be taken to areas impacted, while in the Charleston District, churches organized a health kits drive. Many churches also collected baby food and baby formula, often scarce after disasters. 

In the Columbia District, the Revs. Ashley McCoy-Bruce and Meg Sweeney Cook organized a rapid supply collection, gathering in 36 hours more than $4,000 worth of essential water and supplies to aid Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina, where McCoy-Bruce grew up.

And members of St. John’s UMC, Rock Hill, pitched in to assemble cleaning kits for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Also dubbed “flood buckets,” the kits will be distributed to people who experienced devastation from recent disasters such as Hurricane Helene or Milton.

Other churches offered pastoral care and help with FEMA assistance.

To share photos or information about what your church did after the hurricanes, email [email protected].

“Churches have been so responsive to the needs of the community around them, and not just to their members, but to everybody in the community,” said the Rev. Millie Nelson Smith, Connectional Ministries director for the conference. “That’s been very heartening and relieving, because it takes some of the pressure off knowing they’re being so responsive to immediate needs.”

If you need help

If your church needs help, contact your district office (see list and contact information above).

If you need individual assistance:

• Contact your church

• Contact the conference’s disaster response hotline at 803-726-3106 or [email protected] 

• Reach out to FEMA for assistance; Learn more and apply at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4829/designated-areas

Financial contributions are also needed. Donate to the United Methodist Committee on Relief at https://umcmission.org/advance-project/901670 or UMCSC Disaster Response Ministries at https://tinyurl.com/umcsc-disaster-donation.

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