Wood for Warmth

Most people push a button or twist a dial to control the climate in their houses. Some folks still rely on wood-fired stoves to ward off the cold.Parishioners at Trinity Episcopal Church, Rocky Mount, Va., want to make sure their neighbors who need help heating their homes with wood will have an adequate supply this winter.

Volunteers and pick-up trucks

The program, called "Wood for Warmth," is a new outreach project completely sponsored by church volunteers. The woodcutters meet every Saturday morning at 8:00am at Ferguson Land and Lumber, owned by parishioner Johnny Ferguson. Ferguson's company regularly has a supply of wood that cannot be processed by the mill that he donates to the project. Volunteers use the company's wood-cutting machine to break down the wood to stove-sized pieces. Other volunteers with pick-up trucks deliver the loads to needy families in Franklin County. The church placed two ads in the local newspaper to advertise the program. They also accept referrals from social services agencies. Although the woodcutters began stockpiling the loads in August, deliveries did not begin until November. As of mid-January, the group had delivered 100 loads and expected to deliver 150 loads by the end of the season. They expect to start stockpiling wood in July this year to keep up with next fall's demand.

Reaching families truly in need

According to J.C. Davis, who created the project, most recipients are elderly or single mothers. Davis showed special concern for a mother of five living with her school-aged children in a large uninsulated house. "Some say, 'How do you know if a person is deserving?' Well, we don't always know. There's probably some who will just take advantage of free wood. But we know the Lord will bless our efforts and we know we are reaching folks who truly need the help," said Davis. Trinity's rector, Helen Beas-ley, sees this ministry as the kind of direct service that Jesus was known to provide.

Gaining appreciation/understanding

"Jesus knew the expression on their faces and was intimate with human need because he listened carefully… These visits have honored the recipients by gaining some appreciation and understanding of their circumstances," said Beasley. Davis described the local community as one with "more Baptists and Methodists" than Episcopalians. "Folks may have known where the church is, 'The Rock Church on the corner,' but now folks will know us for this too," said Davis. Parishioners were delighted when several recipients of wood attended the church's pancake supper-their first time inside the church. Davis is also pleased that women in the church help with the deliveries. "Two of our volunteers, a nurse and a school teacher, handle the wood and also visit with the families when they make deliveries."

All ages and occupations help

Many folks whose careers kept them behind a desk now comprise the wood-cutting crew, including retired lawyers, bank-ers, businesspeople-even the retired rector of the church. But the crew isn't limited to retirees. All ages have helped with the project, including twenty-somethings and young children. The church estimates that by the end of the season, the wood and labor they provide to the community will be worth about $15,000. "We wanted a project that would give our members direct contact with the community. This has told folks that we're regular folks, too, and that we love the Lord like they do," said Davis.

Editor's note: St. James', Knoxville (Diocese of East Tennessee) also operates a similar ministry and provides wood to families in Campbell County. To learn more about either program, contact the Rev. Helen Beasley at Trinity, Rocky Mount, Va. at 540-483-5038 or the Rev. Wade Frye at St. James', Knoxville, 865-523-5687.