Local volunteers recently returned from a second mission trip to the flood-ravaged town of Erwin, Tenn., and plans for a third are right around the corner.
“It was really hard to say goodbye. My husband, Sam, said it was like leaving a family reunion that you haven’t been to for years,” said Mandy Jones of Waynesboro, who was among a group that first transported supplies to aid local farmer John Hilemon and his family in October. The Hilemons live along the Nolichucky River, which overflowed its banks after heavy rain from Hurricane Helene.
Traveling with Sam and Mandy were their three sons, Luke, Landan and Levi, Chris and Becky Miler and son, Camden, Bernie and Jess McAfee and children, Brock and Kendall, and T.J. Minnick, all of Waynesboro; Dwayne Tressler, Greencastle; and Eric Grant, Fayetteville. Antrim Township Supervisor Rick Baer and his son, Zack, of Greencastle met the group in Erwin.
The volunteers took new sleeping bags, winter jackets, fleece blankets, wool socks and gloves donated by New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. of Chambersburg and non-perishable canned goods for area families. Men and women’s hygiene supplies were collected to make 100 care bags.
“Once we got there we took everything to a local fire hall for distribution,” Jones added. “What wasn’t needed went to Bumpus Cove, a nearby town where the damage is worse. Some people are still living in tents.”
On the first trip, the group took hay, water and non-perishable food as well as tools and supplies to help Hilemon repair fences, while this time the volunteers brought all the supplies to repair an 40- by 140-foot outbuilding on his property. In addition to the residents from this area, the group of 20 workers also included Erwin-area volunteers, Hilemon, his wife Anjanette, and their son, John.
“We cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for the volunteers in the outbuilding. It was cold … there were no doors,” Jones said. “We took a full size freezer filled with hotdogs, burgers, turkey and bacon and cooked it on a Blackstone griddle we brought. Before we left I made mac and cheese, vegetable soup, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin rolls and pies. We took a feast,” she added.
“One night we went to city hall for dinner. They showed us a slideshow of what the town looked like before and then an aerial view of the destruction. They thanked us for coming and were so grateful.”
Hilemon took the group to his second farm, located in Washington County, Tenn., which was “hit worse than the first one,” according to Jones. “This is where he lost his cattle, a hose came down and wiped out the barn. There was a big gulley in his field from the water. It should have taken 10 to 15 minutes to get there but it took nearly two hours because of all the bridges being out.
“The devastation … we saw so much. It’s hard to put it into words. Their house was flooded … still standing and it looked like someone picked it up and shook it. Everything in it was scrambled. As you followed the river it was just miles and miles of debris. I thought the first time was emotional, but this was so heartbreaking,” she added.
“We really dragged our feet leaving. It was very hard. We never felt out of place with all the love and appreciation they gave us. John and Anjanette want to come to Pennsylvania to visit. They’ve never been here. We built a relationship. She calls us her Pennsylvania family. Anjanette told me ‘It’s not goodbye. It’s see you later. When God closes one door he opens another. He brought you guys into our life to start the next chapter.’
“I’ve only been home a few days, and I’m ready to go back,” Jones noted. “If you would have told me I would be doing this, I never would have believed you. It feels so good to help people. We needed to be there. They said thank you wasn’t enough, but it was enough for us.”
Christmas gifts that are being collected will be taken to the Erwin area Dec.14. New toys only may be dropped at the Parlor House, Trident Enterprises and the Jones home at 7583 Lyons Road, all of Waynesboro, Roger’s Auto Sales in Quincy and Longmeadow Diner and Hub City Diner, both of Hagerstown.
