Gadsden State Community College employee Tina Pendley
loves western North Carolina, so when floods ravaged the area following
Hurricane Helene in September, she wanted to do something to help.

“My husband and I love Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Cherokee, the whole
area,” she said. “My heart was so heavy and broken for the people who
live there. God put it on my heart to do something to help. I wanted to
help bring some encouragement to the area. I couldn’t shake the need to
go.”

Pendley, who works as the administrative assistant in the Business,
Computer Science and Legal Studies Division, connected with members of
Phi Theta Kappa, Gadsden State’s honor society, and they quickly sprang
into action.

“PTK members are known to help when people are in need,” said Melissa
Davis, PTK advisor. “When Tina came to us about collecting items to
donate to those affected by Hurricane Helene, we instantly agreed to
help.”

PTK members collected sleeping bags, canned food, pet food, feminine
hygiene products, diapers, wipes, blankets, cooking stoves, clothes,
paper products, children’s books, Bibles, propane, lanterns, socks and
underwear. Members of Chapman’s Chapel Congregational Holiness Church in
Glencoe also participated in the donation drive.

The donated items were loaded into the bed and cab of Pendley’s
husband’s Ford F-150, and they hit the road headed for the Smokey
Mountains Event Center. Once they arrived, they were told the facility
was full of donations already and they couldn’t accept more.

“My heart sank,” she said. “A soldier at the center encouraged us to go
to Clyde, N.C., the next small town over, to the United Methodist
Church. We were one of several people who waited in line with our
donations. We were greeted with hugs and a lot of appreciation.”

Pendley and her husband, David, unloaded their truck and helped others
unload their vehicles as well. She said the amount of donations brought
to the church was heartwarming.

“They had just about everything needed to assist in the recovery
efforts, but they needed more propane,” she said. “People are living in
tents, and they need heat. Within minutes a truck pulled up to

donate, and it was filled with propane. God was orchestrating
everything.”

Before the Pendleys left to head back to Alabama, they were able to
witness a western North Carolinan pick up a cooking stove they donated.

“It was beautiful to see that our donation project at Gadsden State
could help people in need,” Pendley said. “It was truly an amazing
trip.”