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Salkehatchie Harvest Campers Repair Six Homes In County
By Bob Braddy
After arriving last Saturday from Methodist churches located all over our state, seventy campers and staff of The Salkehatchie Harvest Camp settled into their quarters at Main Street United Methodist Church in Dillon for a week of intense work repairing and renovating six homes of underprivileged families stretching from Dillon to Lake View, Fork and Sellers. Perhaps they should be called “angels” for their generous, unselfish work through the intense heat and humidity after paying $215 each and giving a week of their time, doing difficult, sometimes risky, work for homeowners they probably will never see again. This year makes the sixth year that Salkehatchie campers have come to Dillon. Statewide, there will be almost 50 such camps conducted during the months, with the number of high school and college age youth who will participate approaching 3,500.
Salkehatchie was founded in 1978 when Reverend John Wesley Culp envisioned the need after responding to a call as a volunteer fireman and the department’s chaplain. He saw that faulty wiring had caused the fire, which led to the death of three young children. He became aware that with just a little know-how and minor material the house could have been made safe and the family would still be together. The rest is history.
The Dillon campers were privileged to hear Rev. Culp tell his inspirational story after their evening meal on Monday evening at Main Street UMC. He had driven from Columbia for the event and his talk was a highlight of the week for all who heard him.
“We want to thank all of the volunteers who participated in this year’s Harvest Camp for their contributions to its success,” said Mary Bailey, project chairperson. “The homes chosen for repair will be greatly improved by the work done, but without the contributions of cash and supplies from church members, city and county governments and others, these homes would not have received this help.”
