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The Beaufort County community continues to provide hope and for one another, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, Same Power Ministries provided support and hot meals to Vidant Beaufort Hospital staff.

Set up outside of the hospital’s south entrance, volunteers and Same Power Ministries founders were manning a food truck and trailer, cooking up barbecue chicken, boiled potatoes, cabbage, topped off with dessert.

Wendy Temple, event organizer for Same Power Ministries, said they had originally thought about gathering group at shift change to cheer on the hospital staff to show their appreciation for local health care workers, but Temple and Same Power Ministries wanted to do more.

“One of my husband’s good friends at a Brothers in the Fields meeting that they go to said something about a group coming out front and giving a full applause to the employees (of Vidant-Beaufort) when they change shifts for all their time, hard work and dedication,” Temple said. “My husband is a cook, and the Same Power Ministries is known for catering, cooking and feeding folks, so my husband said, ‘Let’s just feed them.’”

At first, meals were going to be provided for just the Vidant Beaufort Hospital staff, but added the various Vidant medical offices. The meal prep grew again after they invited Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS and Chocowinity Police Department, as well as other first responders, for dinner.

With the help of First Baptist Church in Chocowinity, Eagle’s Wings, Washington Assembly of God and financial donations from friends and families, they have whipped up close to 500 meals.

“So many people were willing to jump on board and help with this. C.R. (Temple) and I — C.R. is my husband — have a heart for helping people in need, and we wanted to do this for the hospital workers,” Temple said. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, we’re just doing our jobs,’ but they have to wake up every day without knowing what they’re going to face that day. They’re in the line of fire every day, and this is the least we can do to thank them. … It has worked out really well so far.”

Ryleigh, Layla and Victoria Hombirg, daughters of pastor Greg Hombirg at First Baptist in Chocowinity, volunteered to prepare meals in the trailer. They also wrote a letter to the Vidant Beaufort staff haling them as “heroes,” with notes of inspiration, signed “From your friends at First Baptist Church in Chocowinity and Same Power Ministries.”

“That’s just to let them know that’s what we think of them. They are heroes,” Temple said. “Once everything calms down and everything isn’t on lockdown, we’d love to do it again. Once (the virus) is gone, the health care workers need to be rewarded. Not that a meal is going to be a reward, but we want them to know how much we as a community appreciate it.”

The meal was much appreciated by the staff. They even sent a letter to Same Power Ministries:

Dear Friends at Same Power Ministries & Catering,

Thank you for blessing us with such a delicious meal today. Personally, I do not think i’ve ever had better barbecue chicken! You call us heroes, but most of us truly believe that we are just doing our jobs. To us, you are the heroes for reaching out and blessing us with your special ministry.

On behalf of my department, please accept our gratitude and love. God bless you all.”