When Jennifer Dulong, executive director of the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, called David Lemburg, assisting priest at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, as Tropical Storm Idalia was forming, she asked if his church could serve as a temporary shelter for Savannah’s homeless population.
Lemburg said, “Let’s do it.”
With Tropical Storm Idalia projected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to Savannah, Lemburg and the parish stepped up to provide shelter and food to people experiencing homelessness in the Savannah community. As of 3 p.m., 49 people had shown up to St. Michael and All Angels, 3101 Waters Ave., said Lemburg. Six volunteers and five priests also appeared to help and throughout the day, congregants, residents and friends donated supplies, such as food, water and blankets.
Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
“It’s been wonderful, just to see people who maybe don’t have a religious community but they act in a religious fashion when asked,” said Lemburg, who is also rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church. “And that’s what we’re doing here. We’re just trying to help our neighbor.”
A shelter in the storm
St. Michael and All Angels is one of multiple emergency shelters for the homeless during Tropical Storm Idalia. Come as You Are Deliverance Ministries has housing for 15, Dulong confirmed in a phone call. The Salvation Army and Union Mission also added 20 and 10 triage bed spaces, respectively, Dulong added.
Nugene Futch, 60, is one of the people staying at the church. Futch lives in Wright Square. He said he hadn't been to Daffin Park, directly across the street from St. Michael and All Angels, since he was eight years old, but when a Savannah Police officer stopped by the square and notified Futch about the emergency shelter at the church, Futch obliged. Later in the day, a Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless van transported him to the church.
“The only reason I came here is because the storm is supposed to hit soon,” said Futch. “I’d rather be inside than outside. Either way, I gotta make it. I can’t just lay down and die.”
Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
As the storm churns northeast from the Georgia-Florida line, Lemburg said the church needs more blankets; he has only a dozen for the nearly 50 who will shelter in place.
“You never know what's gonna work and what isn’t,” said Lemburg. “We ran out of mayo when we started making sandwiches. I’ve never opened and finished a jar of mayo in an hour in my life.”
“Jesus made 5,000 with two loaves of bread,” said a man lying in the church, referencing Matthew 14:13-21.
“There ya’ go,” said Lemburg.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah church provides shelter, food for homeless people during Tropical Storm Idalia
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