Splitlog Baptist Church Offers Shelter From Storm

What started as an idea to distribute water to neighbors quickly morphed into offering food and shelter during the recent winter storm.

Splitlog Baptist Church members rallied together, providing warm meals, showers and a place to stay while freezing temperatures set new records and weather conditions broke water pipes.

Volunteers, the pastoral team and church members offered to shelter in place to simply aid the community, said Shawn Mead, director of missions.

“We did not do it for notoriety or recognition,” she said. “It’s just people helping people and there’s no religious agenda about it.”

The church, located at 3670 Splitlog Road in Goodman, first began distributing water on Saturday, Feb. 13. As weather conditions grew worse, volunteers learned of neighbors’ pipes freezing. Members became worried that fellow neighbors did not have heat or water, or a way to cook a warm meal.

The church then decided to open up the facility that day until the next Wednesday, offering a place to stay with free, warm meals and showers, she said.

In the coming days, as the weather deteriorated, church members then decided to extend that open invitation to Friday night.

Mead coordinated teams of volunteers to cook, clean and help in any way. Neighbors were worried about fellow neighbors because propane and space heaters were at a premium, Mead said. When the weather became harsher, volunteers decided to deliver hot meals out into the community. Volunteers also checked on various people who were homebound and others that might not have resources, due to the weather conditions.

Though the idea started simply, the need soon gave life to the winter missions project.

“We said we would assess every single day and just make sure we’re there for the community,” she said.

In one week, volunteers cooked breakfast and lunch every day, in addition to making and delivering almost 400 hot dinner meals, Mead said.

The pastoral leadership team, numerous volunteers — even teenagers, some of whom are her own children — helped cook and deliver meals. The teenagers often served from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.

Other adults stayed overnight as chaperones for those spending the night.

Church members also received some aid from the First Christian Church in Anderson. That church partnered to provide approximately 100 meals during the week.

“It was fast and furious,” Mead said. “It was cool how it all came together.”

Mead said the Bible says to “love one another,” even if that means sharing eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy.

“I have a huge passion for helping the needy and showing Christ’s love through my actions,” she said.

The community effort brought many people together. Neighbors volunteered blankets, food, water, to-go containers, she said. The Goodman Fire Department loaned cots for people to use, she added. For Mead, seeing people reaching out to others was a directive from above.

“It was a tremendous opportunity to show that we are Christ’s kids.”