SUMMERTON - Staff and volunteers at Clarendon School District 1's Community Resource Center "labored tirelessly to ensure flood victims received donated items" during catastrophic rains and flooding in early October, said Kathleen Gibson.
"The items were donated by several agencies and churches, and even residents of Clarendon County, surrounding counties and other states," Gibson said.
Center staff and volunteers focused exclusively on providing relief to community members who previously lived at Meadowfield Apartments in Summerton. The apartment complex will require about $1.5 million in repairs, according to management.
"These individuals lost their homes to the rain and flood waters and were relocated to various locations, including Camp Bob Cooper," Gibson said. "Several truckloads of donated relief items were routed through the center and delivered to Camp Bob Cooper to assist families staying at this location."
Gibson said members from area churches, including Historic Liberty Hill AME, Mt. Pleasant RMUE and St. Mark Baptist churches, volunteered their assistance and church vehicles to transport items to residents who experienced flooding in Summerton and outlying areas.
"This group of volunteers worked exclusively to provide care relief packages to the elderly and disabled flood victims," she noted.
Gibson said donations came from residents of South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina.
"(They) provided clothing donations, enabling flood victims to come to the center and pick out a variety of clothing articles," she said. "In fact, nine cases of brand new T-shirts, compliments of Custom Printwear of Lugoff, were donated for those in need."
Gibson said residents drove through a receiving line located in front of the resource center's gymnasium, where volunteers helped load cars with boxed goods and water.
"To date, about 200 boxed goods and cases of water have been provided to individuals and families," Gibson said. "In collaboration with United Way, Clarendon County is also receiving assistance from seven AmeriCorps personnel during the upcoming weeks."
For individuals and families still in need of support, Gibson said the next distribution will be held noon today at the resource center's gymnasium.
"Although this may be the last public distribution offered by our center, other relief efforts will be available, but focused exclusively on those left without homes due to the flood," Gibson said.
