Dear Customers and Friends,
Over the last few weeks, we have all watched the news with shock and horror as Hurricane Helene brought unfathomable destruction to the southeastern United States.
It is easy to become overwhelmed in the face of such tragedy, to give in to despair. It is not easy to stand, roll up your sleeves and ask, How can I help? But as Christians, that is what we are called to do.
Through the hard work and outpouring of generosity from our community, Syfan Logistics was able to send 40 truckloads of much-needed supplies to affected areas in South Georgia and the Carolinas so far. My heart is full and humbled by stories about the impact of the relief efforts, like the one from Rodney Miller, a South Georgian.
Rodney is a farmer who lives in Ocilla, Ga., an area near the Florida state line that was hit especially hard by Helene. His neighbors were desperate for water. Phone calls through mutual friends put Rodney in touch with our logistics company about the same time as a truck had just returned to our headquarters in Gainesville, Ga., with an empty trailer.
God must have been listening in on that phone call. Almost simultaneously, a large donation of water arrived. Within the hour, the water was loaded and on its way to Rodney’s relief camp. A second load was sent a few days later.
What a coincidence. What a miracle.
Another story of light in the darkness came from Bob and Tami Chamberlain, a trucker team who has worked with Syfan for about a decade. Bob has hauled six truckloads of Helene donations so far (which included baby supplies, food boxes, paper products, etc.) to communities in need.
Bob expressed his amazement at the resilience of the hurricane victims. Despite the fact that they were without water, without power dealing with the Georgia heat and recovering from all the storm damage, people were lining up to help unload and distribute the donations with determined smiles.
A local man stood beside Bob and wondered aloud. “Where is all of this coming from?”
Bob placed his hand on that man’s shoulder and simply said, “This is from Jesus.”
Just as it says in Matthew, when you see the hungry and feed them, when you give the thirsty something to drink, invite in a stranger and look after the sick, Jesus replies, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
The tragedies and losses suffered by the victims of this disaster go beyond what words can describe. But the wave of neighborly love and support that rose up to meet it is just as mighty.
I thank our local community along with each and every volunteer who has donated their goods, time, and heart to this cause. Our prayers continue to go out to all of those affected by this disaster.
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Greg Syfan
President, Syfan Logistics
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than receive.’”
Acts 20:35