Leadership Group Funds New Bus for Salvation Army of Aiken County

Leadership Aiken County pulled together $33,000 to purchase a bus for the Salvation Army of Aiken County. Now residents without cars or other ways to travel can reach the shelter, get hot meals, and tap into services they need.

Captain Malaika Good runs the Salvation Army of Aiken County. She explained how the bus knocked down a big wall that kept people from getting help.

"A lot of them do walk, a lot of them have bikes, but with this heat, it's hard for them to get back and forth to our program and services, so this bus has helped in tremendous ways," Good said, per WRDW.

Every bed fills up this summer. Families show up. Women arrive seeking refuge. Men pack the remaining spaces. The pattern repeats each day.

Stephanie Luck cooks at the soup kitchen. More mouths to feed walk through the doors than before.

"There are a few people who come up, and they have several kids and like to know I fed you, and today your kids don't have to say I'm hungry, what do we need. I've been there, I grew up in poverty, I know how it is. It makes me feel whole," Luck said.

The work pays off. Over 200 people found permanent homes through these programs in the past year.

"We've seen maybe 28 in the last month go into stable housing, so this program is working, and with the support of the community, it just helps it even more," Good said.

Volunteers are needed. Donations too. The kitchen runs low on oil, butter, bread, seasonings, condiments, bottled water, sugar, and breakfast foods.

The soup kitchen is open from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.