Operation H2O set off from Beach Church in Myrtle Beach today, en route to offer assistance to the affected individuals in Greenwood, South Carolina, and Western North Carolina who have been severely impacted by the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.
Operation H2O
Operation H2O consisted of a collective of believers who assembled from various locations in South Carolina, including Charleston, Goose Creek, North Myrtle Beach, and Myrtle Beach.
Said Pastor Timothy Carter of Sonshine Recovery Ministry, “We are taking emergency relief, calling it Operation H2O, to Western North Carolina. We have chosen a children’s home, Baptist Children’s Home [in Greenwood, S.C.] and once we found out there are 100 children there with no power, no water, no food, and coming from my past, where I grew up like that, it hit immediately.“
Added Carter, “I know the fears they felt, and so I said, let’s go there and everybody agreed.“
Recovery Pastor Shawn Norton of Beach Church commented on the supplies that Operation H2O is bringing, We’ve got a lot of water, got a lot of cleaning supplies, non perishable foods, diapers, a little bit of pet food, blankets, stuff like that.”
Operation H2O Convoy Departs
Carter said, “We are taking 10 chain saws on our truck that is coming from our recovery ministry and our men that are coming from our recovery house are going and a whole lot of volunteers out of Beach Church and others.“
The Operation H20 team anticipated being unable to obtain fuel upon arrival. They will bring their own supply of gasoline and diesel in trucks to aid their journey from the coast towards the west and for the return trip home.
Said Jarrett Hucks, Worship Leader at Beach Church, “there are churches all over [coming together across the county and state]. I spoke with John [Gallman, Founder Triune Wealth Management of Myrtle Beach] this morning. I know Living Water up in North Myrtle Beach, Goose Creek, [SC]… they have all partnered up.“
“We have worked with a half a dozen churches in the last 48 hours,” Hucks said. “It’s just amazing to see how many people have jumped in to make these trailers as full as possible.”
Pastor Carter added, “Let’s not forget Ignite Church. They jumped right on board with us as soon as the calls went out.“
Operation H20 commenced when Carter received a phone call at 6:27 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Said Carter, “Within one hour we got Jarrett involved, Shawn got involved, and boom!” Said Carter, “Prayers are needed. Keep praying for them.”
The group stated Operation H2O would be ongoing.
One trailer load of supplies
Before departing, John Gallman told the group, “The food truck, the feeding truck got there last night. This is an extensive operation. We’ve got a semi. We are going to be feeding 500 people three meals a day.“
Added Gallman, “We are feeding all of Greenwood, the entire City of Greenwood staff [including] Police, Fire, EMS, and the Commission of Highway Workers, the line workers, and people working on water, and power up there.“
He said, “In addition to that [we will be feeding] 200 children and the staff at the Baptist Children’s Home. They got there late last night. They are set up. They are good to go. This is the group that goes all over the country to prepare meals for disaster relief.“
“They made a post last night when they got there “they said it looks like a war zone”,” Gallman said.
“I have been on the phone with the Baptist Children’s Home“, said Gallman. “We are going to collect board games. Beach Church will be a drop off place. And tomorrow Living Water Baptist Church up on Highway 9, from 9:30 tomorrow morning to 7 p.m. tomorrow night.“
The group is asking the community to provide Board Games and brand new Nike tennis shoes. They are asking for footballs and 120 bicycles. Gallman said the students will be out of school for an unknown amount of time during clean up.
Gallman said the group will be making a second trip back up to deliver these items.
In the meantime the Horry County Republican Women’s club will be heading west to wash the children’s clothes at the Connie Maxwell Children’s ministries [The Baptist Children’s home of S.C.] in support of Operation H20.
Operation H2O secured $350,000 in new clothes from Jockey. Tropicana is sending a semi-truck of non perishable Tropicana orange juice.
Locals who want to make a financial donation to Operation H2O, can give at New Covenant Church here.
From New Covenant Church at 3 p.m. on Operation H2O
Thank you to those who have already donated to the disaster relief fund. $1,500 has been given through NCC so far, and many of you took items yesterday to be delivered to the upstate and western NC. John Gallman and Scott Saleeby are part of the convoy that left this morning to deliver goods to some of the hardest hit areas.
There will be a second convoy headed for the Connie Maxwell children’s home in Greenwood that John mentioned yesterday. This home houses about 200 children. You may still drop off items at Beach Church today and tomorrow. Shoes in particular are needed. Since these children are without power for an indefinite period of time, things that they can do outdoors would also be helpful, like bicycles and fishing poles.
There is a disaster relief fund set up in the Church Connect giving app. So far there have been at least a dozen local churches in our area that have joined together in an effort to help those on the other side of our state and in our neighboring state of NC.
Thank you again for what you have already given and for what you will give! You are a blessing!
April Saleeby, Office Administrator, New Covenant Church