Kevin Howell
sumter united ministry
I once went on a cave “wild tour” with a group of men.
A tour guide navigated a course that required unconventional movements in tight spaces. Glancing at crevices in the rock, they often seem impenetrable, but we did every time.
You can’t miss the idea behind this experience.
At Sumter United Ministries, we meet many clients who are overwhelmed by life and numbed by their suffering. Encouraging and supporting the formation of solutions to life change is an important aspect of what we do. Hope exists in every situation!
This week we had a client visit us who needed help with their last minute electricity bill. After his 14-year career in the military, he is now adjusting to a meager income from disability. Combined with Social Security and veteran benefits, he earns about $1,000 a month. He wants to work part-time to supplement his income, but his dialysis schedule is complicated without taking other physical issues into account.
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He is stuck and his options are limited.
But the solution remained. They’re hard solutions, mostly “if we can do without this, we’ll have to cut it out of our budget”. had a caring heart for
This client found he had misunderstood his billing cycle and was at risk of losing electrical service, resulting in a hot house. The Ministry of Crisis and Relief has provided direct financial support to prevent disruption. More importantly, we shared hope and encouraged weary hearts.
Thank you for sharing these scenarios to make them a daily occurrence! Thank you for donating to the Fireside Fund.
– Kevin Howell is Director of the Department of Crisis and Relief for Sumter United Ministries.
About the Bonfire Fund
Every winter since 1969, The Sumter Item has run a fundraiser to collect money from readers, all of which goes to Sumter United Ministries.
A religiously based nonprofit organization, the nonprofit provides emergency and rebuilding services ranging from food, housing and clothing to last minute bill payments, access to educational opportunities and clinics. .
Sumter Items recognizes and appreciates all the ministries run by its staff and volunteers, but Fireside Funds wants to focus on one area that will be important in the coming months: heat. was created in
Every penny donated will help prevent heating services from being turned off, allow access to propane or other heat sources, and, if sufficient funds are available and needed, to help build a home in the long term. Directly assisting people in Sumter by funding affordable home repairs. more efficient.
Respectfully
Each year, The Item’s leadership team selects a recently deceased person for that year’s campaign. Recognized individuals have made a positive impact in their communities through service, philanthropy, or business leadership.
Abe Stern ticked all those boxes.
He was Sumter’s only Holocaust survivor and ran Jack’s department store, a successful shoe store for over 60 years, creating a space for students to earn money and receive professional instruction. rice field.
Despite his traumatic past of being sent to an internment camp during World War II and arriving in the United States with $30 in his pocket, he always developed a positive attitude and love for life and Sumter. was
He served in the U.S. Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base and became a philanthropic and community supporter of Sumter’s only synagogue, Temple Sinai.
He passed away on November 19, 2021. he was 92 years old.
New donations as of Jan 3 (2 weeks): Margaret Moses, Michael Yates Tribute, $100. In memory of Barbara Ellis, butler Billy J. Ellis, $50. $3,814 in memory of Jim and Marsha Jones, Mike Yates and Connie Britton. St. John United Methodist Church, $177.40. Bethel United Methodist Church/John Edens Bible Class, $300. Berthella Ellis, in memory of Richard M. Ellis, $50. $100 in memory of Gene and Shirley Patterson and Robert Ruth. Julian Hill, $100. $100 in loving memory of Tom and Margaret Kinder, Ray and Fran Kinder, and Layla and Walter Renoir. Drue and Dee Dee Spigner donate his $100 in honor of Frank and Joan Doyle. Discovery Sunday School Class – First Presbyterian, $100; Mount Vernon Coffee Club, $60. Laddie and Ginnie DuBose for $100 in memory of Tom and Melle DuBose and Alex DuBose. Reverend and Mrs. Joshua Dupree Jr., Ministry of Hope, $25. In memory of Brenda Mims, Kent Mims, $200. $100 in memory of Jenny and George Weinick Jr. and George and Madeleine Weinick. Steve and Nan Windham, $250. $100 in memory of Dan and Lucy Owens, Sharon Tate and Dot Logan. Jimmy and Eunice Bradshaw, $400. Sandra Goza, $100. Crusader Sunday School Class/Dalzel Baptist Church, $50.
