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The ElectraLite Church Offers Helping Hand Continued from page 1.
story in the Bible. "We began making sandwiches, and
then going out into the community to hand them out," says Cockroft. The church's disaster relief ministry
moved from the congregation's prayer re- quest to a functioning program. Cockroft serves as the ministry's coor-
dinator. An energetic man, Cockroft says he felt God tap him on the shoulder last Octo- ber and beckon to him to leave his career in management with J. C. Penney and go to work for Him. Committing personal time and talents
to the service of others runs deep in the Cockroft family. Son Josh not only serves as the church's praise and worship leader, but he also serves as State Representative from District 27. During the first three days follow-
ing the tornado, the church was without electricity, but that didn't keep them from preparing and serving three meals a day. Cockroft says they used generators and grills to prepare the food, and moved tables out onto the lawn. They loaded up vehicles and began
driving throughout the area delivering food.
"People were hesitant to leave their
belongings and property, and we under- stood that," he says. "So we took food and water to them." He says they developed routes and delivered to folks within a 10 to 15-mile radius of the church. Between 6,000 and 8,000 meals a week
were prepared. "Those people are amazing," says
Gerald Rounsaville, a 36-year CVEC service- man/lineman who works the McLoud-Bethel Acres area. "They restore your faith in mankind." Rounsaville says "They would pull up
and ask if you needed anything. They'd have snacks, candy bars, Gatorade, wa- ter, sandwiches, fresh fruit, biscuits with sausage and gravy, cinnamon rolls. I'd tell them I was okay, but then I'd come back to my truck to find a pile of food they'd left for me. And they did that for everyone they ran across." He says he knew the church wasn't
asking for donations, but he left them some money each time he ate there, and so did several of the Mid-Western Electrical contractors helping CVEC with its restora- tion efforts. Pastor James Bond agrees the church didn't solicit donations, but found it didn't need to. "We received donations from 30 to 35 states, from Washington to Delaware."
July 2013
He adds they also received help from people in Sweden, the Ukraine and Australia. They received 700 chicken sandwiches from Tyson Chicken, and 500 personal pan pizzas from Papa John's. As the church became a distribution
center not only for meals, but for supplies, people donated such needed items as bot- tled water, gloves, masks, safety goggles, and trash bags. Bond says they found people were as
generous with their time as they were their money and gifts. "We have volunteers who have given up
a week of their vacation to come and help us," Cockroft says. With enthusiasm in his voice, he tells of two ladies from Iowa, 48 people from Clarksville, TN, a young family who told him their two children asked if the family could come help in Oklahoma in- stead of going on vacation, volunteers from Colorado and Georgia, a group of between 100 and 120 who has already committed to helping for three weeks in July, just to mention a few. "Things have quieted down a little now,
and basic needs are being addressed, but the rebuilding is going to take years, and we're going to be here," Bond says. "People experienced with this type of disaster tell us it's going to take years to come back from this. So our ministry is going to be here to help. We have plans to build a large building where we can offer supplies, but we are also going to offer spiritual help."
CVEC offices will be closed Thursday, July 4 in celebration of Independence Day. We will be open during regular busi- ness hours Friday, July 5.
Find Your Hidden Account Number and Win $25
If you find your account number hidden in this issue of The Electralite, you could win $25.
McLoud's Emmanuel Baptist Church was without electric service for three days immedi-
ately following the May 19 tornado, but that didn't prevent church members from preparing and serving meals to anyone needing to eat. Those first few days food was prepared and served outside around picnic tables and under tents. Once electric service was restored, ev- erything was moved indoors where there was light and air conditioning (above photo.)
In order to win, the account number must 905360500 be your own. You need to report finding the number to us by the 15th of the month. And you need to report finding it by phone, mail or in person. Good luck!
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