Church members in Benton, Arkansas, are making sure their elderly and disabled neighbors have what they need as they confront cold weather.
A group of volunteers with Grace Point Church went to 80 apartments in the Whispering Pines complex on Thursday to show the residents they care about them, KARK reported.
The group delivered food and items needed to prepare the residents for the expected severe winter weather. Volunteer Laryssa Colley summed up their mission: “We go to parts of the community that we feel needs love and so that’s what we did today,” she said, adding there was a sense of urgency and they planned to give them bread, milk, butter, and eggs.
Indeed, the Weather Channel’s forecast said the high in Benton on Saturday will hover around 17 degrees accompanied by a wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet. Therefore, it was of the utmost importance the apartment residents had the essentials to make it for the next several days.
Video footage shows the group preparing to deliver the paper bags stuffed with supplies:
The volunteers also handed out blankets, socks, and items to help keep the residents’ pets warm.
When their mission was complete, the volunteers and some residents gathered to pray.
Resident Ronnie Smith said, “God is good, God is looking out for you. You see how he blessed me, the way he blessed me, He can bless y’all too.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she has deployed almost 170 members of the Arkansas National Guard to help residents in preparation for the storm.
“Our National Guardsmen are always on call to assist our state when disaster strikes and, as this weekend’s winter storm approaches, we will need all the assistance we can get to keep Arkansans safe,” she stated. “These men and women prepare every single day for events like this, and I know our state is in good hands with their support. I am deeply grateful for the soldiers who will be carrying out this mission.”
The governor has also declared a state of emergency in light of the situation.
According to Colley, the volunteers love being friends with and helping the apartment residents.
“It’s wonderful to be able to meet the needs of the people, but just being able to touch their hands, and their hearts, and pray with them. Just… It means the world to us,” she explained.
Click here to read how you can prepare for severe cold weather.
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