GOSPELVISION Ministries and Ephesians 4 Network were quick to respond to the need caused by an ice storm that swept several states, January 26/27, 2009. The storm left thirty people dead and hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, businesses and local governments without power and telephones and many homes were without heat. E4N is a conference of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church.
It rained constantly for 24 hours at a temperature of 26 degrees. The heavy ice brought down power lines and trees everywhere. The storm left an estimated 600,000 Kentuckians without power. All was lost that they had in the refrigerator. Businesses and places of employment were shut down. Even if they had food, there was no way of cooking.
Presiding Bishop James Leggett, of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, responded to the need and gave direction for all conferences to get involved. The Governor asked for FEMA and National disaster declaration.
Disaster Relief USA (DRUSA), a division of IPHC, under the leadership of National Coordinator Bill Terry dispatched the mobile kitchen and crew to Mayfield, Kentucky. The mobile kitchen is provided by the South Carolina Conference of IPHC. Volunteers and additional help came from the North Carolina, Appalachian, Tennessee and others.
Bishop Brad Reynolds contacted Gene Kennett to get E4N involved with supplying the feeding station. Pastor Gene is E4N’s Missions and DRUSA director. Pastor Gene contacted Thomas Little, a member and minister with E4N to help organize a truckload of food.
“I’m glad we had the capability to be a part of this outreach,” said Ephesians 4 Network Bishop Brad Reynolds. “We really appreciate Gene Kennett and Thomas Little who put this load of food and supplies together for us.”
The tractor/trailer load of supplies included such items as apples, canned food, power drinks, flavored water, frozen corn dogs, rice pudding, candy bars, diapers, and a variety of other important staples necessary for providing hot meals. The children, who are spending their days at home without electricity or TV, were blessed with a variety of games to help them have a more meaningful day.
Rev. Little is President and Founder of GOSPELVISION Ministries, a missions and relief organization. Thomas contacted Joe Lordi, director of Gleaners Food Bank, in Youngstown, Ohio. Soon a truckload of food and supplies was on its way to Mayfield, Kentucky.
Pastor Jimmy Hayes says the feeding kitchen will be needed for at least three more weeks as it will take that long to restore everyone's power. Hayes is pastor of the 10th Street Pentecostal Holiness Church in Mayfield. The Mobile Feeding Kitchen (set up in the parking lot of the church) is serving 1,500 meals per day with a capability of preparing 4,000-5,000 per day.
The North Carolina Conference has a chain saw crew and responded to help clear fallen trees. The Appalachian Conference has a water trailer and they were there giving out gallons of water. The local water system was under a boil-water-before-use advisory, but without power that was not always possible.
Forty percent of the homes still have no electricity, and with no paychecks coming in, they have no money to pay bills or buy food. The problem will continue until the power is back on and they have a paycheck coming in again.
The feeding kitchen is also providing food for the Red Cross workers, National Guard, power line workers and no one was turned away.
“It takes thousands of volunteers and millions of dollars to dig out from under a disaster such as this one”, says Little. Little has been directing emergency, disaster and relief projects for twenty-five years. “It is important that everyone get involved. It is still not too late to support this project as the feeding kitchen will be needed until the last home gets power.”
Thomas Little, Jr.
Phone: 513-735-2430