08/24/2026
When the storms hit Western Wayne County, things changed quickly. What followed were three very long days but also an incredible reminder of what can happen when a community comes together.
🌧️ WEDNESDAY
In torrential rain, our amazing volunteers helped us unload a truck carrying more than 10,000 pounds of food.
That evening, Hagerstown lost power with no clear timeline for when it would return. We immediately put our emergency plan into action. Chris navigated detours to get into town and start our newly installed generator.
That generator meant tens of thousands of dollars of meat, dairy, produce and other refrigerated food stayed safe and available for the families we serve.
We are incredibly grateful to Ridge Electric and the Wayne County Foundation, whose grant helped make this generator possible. We couldn't have imagined when it was installed just how important it would become.
THURSDAY
The power was still out, and we were preparing for the possibility that it could remain that way for days.
By 8:30 a.m., NCCC had provided Hagerstown Fire Department with eggs, milk and other essentials to make breakfast for those who had spent the previous day and night working through the flooding.
Before the biscuits were even out of the oven, plans were already underway for what came next: a community spaghetti dinner.
With NCCC providing the food and Hagerstown Fire Department helping make it happen, a fresh, hot meal was ready by 2 p.m. for our community.
At the same time, we created a needs form and began working through responses one by one, matching families with available resources and figuring out where we could help. We connected with EMA, Nettle Creek Elementary School leadership, Cambridge City Christian Church and the Jackson Township Trustee as we worked out how to share resources and reach as many people as possible.
Water arrived by the pallet. Cleaning supplies started showing up. Donations came through the doors. And the calls, texts and emails kept coming, “How can we help?”
Near the end of the meal, the lights finally came back on. Thank you, Duke Energy, for working tirelessly to restore power!
That evening, our attention turned to Friday. We worked out how to replace lost perishables and assist families with their needs.
🛒 FRIDAY — Pantry day looked a little different.
A normal pantry day already means serving 100+ families, but this one had an entirely different purpose.
We set up a table outside and talked with each person who came through. How are you doing? Were you affected? What do you need?
Then we got to work.
We ran circles restocking refrigerators and freezers for families who had lost food. Donations continued pouring in. We found every nook and cranny we could to store them, redirected supplies to places with greater needs and sorted everything that came through our doors.
By Friday, we were beginning to transition from emergency response into recovery.
We decided to open for an additional Wednesday evening pantry so those working during normal hours would have another opportunity to receive help, and we began planning for the weeks and months ahead.
AND THE WORK HASN'T STOPPED.
Since those crazy first 72 hours, we've continued connecting families with resources, meeting with those who couldn't make it to the pantry, sorting donations and moving supplies wherever they're needed most.
We've delivered thousands of pounds of donations to Cambridge City and Williamsburg, including a 12-foot box truck packed with bread and bakery items, a vanload of produce, along with cleaning and recovery supplies.
We're continuing to communicate with our neighboring communities, restock our own pantry and support families as recovery continues.
There are far too many people, organizations, volunteers and businesses who stepped up for us to adequately thank in one post. Whether you donated supplies, gave money, volunteered, shared information, made a phone call, transported food or simply asked “How can I help?" you were part of this response.
There are no words to adequately capture our gratitude so a simple thank you will have to do for now.
