MULLINS, SC (WBTW) – Volunteers came together over MLK Jr. weekend to help families still recovering from Hurricane Florence.
The ‘MLK Weekend of Service’ was part of the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church’s ongoing Florence recovery efforts.
55 volunteers from across the state worked on over eight projects across Marion and Dillon Counties.
Margaret Plettinger Mitchell was one of them.
“He was all about caring about other people,” she said. “So there was a big push to have an event Saturday and Monday and get as many houses done as possible in honor of his memory.”
The Florence recovery group has been working with families impacted by the storm since spring 2019. It’s received over 3 million dollars in grants to fund their work.
“Weekends like this really help us push and get projects started or get projects finished,” Florence Disaster Recovery Director Tim Whitten said. “It’s a huge relief for us as an organization but for the homeowner it’s the world. That’s what its about and that’s who its about and that’s who we’re here to serve.”
He said they’ve already finished 40 projects related to Hurricane Florence, and hope to work on closer to 300 before the end of 2021.
He said the group’s biggest need is volunteers.
“Getting people out painting and swinging hammers and making a difference in the community- that’s where the most need is,” he said. “We’d love to partner with as many groups and as many organizations and individuals as we can.”
One of the projects being worked on Monday was Melinda Hopper’s home of around 30 years in the Rains community.
“It feels so good to have someone come in here and help rebuild the house back,” she said.
You can learn more about the program here.