Many times we, the HELP board members, ask why? Why do we have such an excess of medical equipment and supplies? Why do the monetary donations keep coming? Why does the number of volunteers continue to grow? Why do our passion and energy not only continue but strengthen and the doors of HELP remain open? Why?
You probably have your own set of whys. One that comes to mind in light of the recent events in Kentucky is, “Why does natural disaster occur?” The North Fork Kentucky River at Whitesburg, Kentucky rose 18 feet in 10 hours from midnight through 10 am. Normally, the river is 1 to 2 feet deep. Homes were completely submerged in water. Never before has the area seen this type of flooding or experienced such devastation. Why?
While the why will never be fully answered, the how is. God gives a beautiful example in Exodus 17:12 of helping your brother. Moses, with the staff of God, held his hands high in order that the Israelites would prevail over Amalek. “When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up one on one side, one on the other- so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” We are not called to do life alone. We are called to come alongside our brother and give him strength when he doesn’t have strength of his own.
The whys answer the how. Our “whys” as to the abundance of supplies at HELP answered the “how” for the residents of Letcher County, Kentucky. An email went out to Glossbrenner and St. James church on August 2 to gather cleaning supplies and non-perishable foods by the weekend. HELP had connected with a home health nurse manager in Letcher County. She had approximately 75 clients and many had lost everything; all durable medical equipment like walkers, rollators, and disposables like briefs, ostomy supplies, and urinary catheters. A heavy-duty cargo van was rented, but it wasn’t big enough to load all of the equipment and donations! Stefanie’s daughter and fiancé had to drive their truck also in order to take all the supplies that had been collected at HELP and items donated. Donations came from Shenandoah Orthopedics, residents of Deerfield, church members, HELP volunteers, and countless others as the word spread. The van and truck were full of walkers, rollators, bedside commodes, disposables from HELP, food, cleaning supplies, and pet food. In five incredibly short days, we became to the people of Letcher County, what Aaron and Hur were for Moses.
Please continue to pray for the people of Kentucky.
– Stefanie & Regina