Where There’s Smoke, There’s Help: Hickman’s Joins Disaster Relief Effort

So many of us were worried earlier this week about our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. After all, the storms this week were some of the worst we've seen in a long time.

And while there was a lot of attention to what was going on in the cities, there wasn't quite as much focus on the rural areas. That's not a surprise. But I wanna show you something good that happened here in West Central Missouri that isn't getting crowed about. I know they didn't do it for attention, but dangit, I can't just let a good deed like this go by without applauding it.

Okay, Great. So What Happened?

After all the storms on Monday, Tuesday was a big "figuring out what's next" day. I saw a lot of posts on social media about fallen trees, destroyed homes, injured animals, damaged property. And then I saw this.

The folks who run Hickman's Smokehouse in Cole Camp decided they were going to help the best way they could. They asked around on social media, finding a good parking lot in Lincoln - and then they set themselves up. They made sandwiches and chips, they brought water, and they fed every single person they could who was going through cleanup.

And while obviously feeding someone who's been working hard is a kind thing...... I think more than anything, just showing up is even kinder. They didn't wait,  they just helped the best way they could. And they listened, which is another big thing people need after a disaster*. Some of the stories they heard were just heartbreaking.

We had a couple drive in from the Tightwad area around 2:30 who had just managed to get out due to trees blocking their passage. We had a gentlemen tell us about a man who at one point during the storm, saw his barn was still intact with cows safely inside, only to look later to see the barn and cows were gone. Another person told us they’d been told they might not get electricity back until Friday.

While a lot of people in the Tightwad, Racket, Lincoln, and the surrounding areas were hard at work, their fellow Missourians were cheering them on in the most practical way possible - with a simple sandwich. There's something beautiful about that.  They are feeding you so you can rebuild, so you can regrow, so you can start again, just like your body does every morning.   You're rebuilding your physical structures, yes, but you're also rebuilding a feeling of home and being safe. It definitely is a feeling I can't describe to lose your home, your little corner of the world, so quickly. It's not just scary, it's confusing, and disorienting. It takes a long time to set that right again. But it's good to know you have people who have your back while you're trying to do that.

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I say, everybody make a special trip to Cole Camp and thank them personally.  And maybe get Carolina pork.  That's the bizznazz.   Oh, and they wanted to let everyone know they were working with LERT (Lutheran Emergency Relief Team). If you need help,  they might be a resource. They are currently scheduling workers to come help with cleanup.  660-422-0367.

Good luck and best of wishes to recovery,

Behka

*Well, I did, anyway.  It  was a long time ago, but I did lose everything once in fire.