MCRAE-HELENA, Ga. — Nearly all of Telfair County is still without power, and McRae-Helena police chief Glenn Giles said they still don't know when the lights will come back on.
A church in town is distributing food and the pastor is the driving force for the effort.
Corinth CME Church in McRae-Helena hosted an event Wednesday to provide hot meals, non-perishable food to take home and other wellness supplies. Pastor Marvin Howard said conditions in town have been awful. He said he is grateful his church has the resources to offer hot food at a time when people can't cook.
"It has been devastating,” Howard said. “But thank God for the community had come together and decided to do something like feeding the people and just checking on each other to make sure everybody is all right.”
Down the road is the funeral home Howard owns that was destroyed by Helene. The storm ripped off the roof and scattered across the nearby area.
Howard said he is going through a lot, but that won't stop him from serving the community.
"We want to be the leader of the community," he said. "In order to be the leader of the community, you have to step up and do what is needed at that particular time. I got great people who are working with me.”
Howard isn't the only person trying to help out. Giles said the city has made progress because of the cleanup crews and volunteers.
"We've had many, many community volunteers come in,” he said. “It has been a true community event where people have come together and helped their neighbors."
Giles said about 98% of the roads in McRae-Helena and 80% of the roads across the county are now clear. Giles said McRae-Helena never lost water. But at the old Helena fire station, people can come with water jugs to get fresh drinking water.