A Picture of Community
Toccoa is more than beautiful… it is the picture of community! A community that rallies around those in need. My heart was so blessed to see this demonstrated just a few weeks ago when the need arose in South Carolina for victims of Hurricane Matthew.
The little town of Nichols, S.C. sits between the Pee Dee River and the Lumber River. Soon after the hurricane, the rivers rose and the levy broke. The people of Nichols, S.C. had only a thirty minute warning to evacuate.
Governor Nicky Haley has since condemned the entire community. Including a 3 year old school, churches, businesses, residential homes …all destroyed. Entire contents of the homes and buildings from furniture to insulation has now been cleaned out and hauled to the street for pick-up. Everything was lost and the people were all displaced. The drinking water has all been compromised.
There was and still is, such great need.
The Lord placed this burden on the heart of my husband, Steve Paysen - P230 Foundation (www.P230.org) and he made a plea to our community to help us fill a 53 ft. tractor trailer with clean folded clothes, food, and water. And with only a 2-day notice…Toccoa-Stephens County showed up. In just a matter of a few hours, we filled that truck with HOPE for the people of another community that we do not know but we did know that they needed our help.
I was so blessed to hear the stories of so many who donated. People of all walks of life and backgrounds, from the “haves” to the “have nots” across this great community, people gave what they could give. From a small grocery bag of clothes, to pick-up truck loads of clean, folded clothes…some still warm from the dryer…were delivered. It was non-stop all day.
The people of Toccoa-Stephens County came together to make a difference in the lives of people we don’t even know. It took this village to get it done. So together with P230, Hemphill Trucking, Quality Foods, Ebenezer Baptist Church, local business leaders and the people of this community, we filled that truck with supplies to meet the needs of the residents of Nichols, S.C. and in doing so, we sent the message of HOPE right along with it!
I have always said that it’s the people of Toccoa-Stephens County that make this community different and this is just one more example of just that! A very special, heartfelt “Thank you” to all who took the time to wash and fold clothes, bag and box them up, donate time and money to the cause, and shared personal stories of how you have before been in a place of need how the experience has lead you to want to be part of blessing someone else in need.
What a joy to be just a small part of how the Lord chooses to faithfully provide for our every need. How grateful I am to live in a community that comes together for those in need.
