Lancaster church brings Thanksgiving to people who don’t have a home

LANCASTER, S.C. — A local church is doing its part to bring Thanksgiving to people who don’t have a home this week.

First Washington Church in Lancaster will feed, bathe, and clothe people in need.

“We are prepared to serve as many people that show up,” Pastor Johnnie Rose told Channel 9′s Tina Terry.

Rose says the church is ready to reach out to those in need in his community. They’ll offer mobile showers and a clothing closet at the church on Thanksgiving Day, in addition to providing meals.

Rose and local leaders say some folks camp in the woods, sleep in cars, or hop from home to home.

“I can say the housing situation is getting much worse. I get calls weekly from people who say they’re being evicted for one reason or another,” said Holly Furr, the executive director with United Way of Lancaster County.

Furr says calls for shelter were the number one need of 211 callers from January to June this year. In that same period, calls for eviction prevention went up 157%

Furr says work on the county’s first homeless shelter is still underway. In the meantime, she’s happy to see the community come together to help meet the needs of the people.

“We saw that need and we’re just trying to meet that need for someone else,” Rose said.

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