God’s Pit Crew of Danville sends 60 volunteers to provide aid in Kentucky

DANVILLE, Va. (WFXR) — Volunteers from a Danville-based nonprofit, God’s Pit Crew, are heading to eastern Kentucky to provide assistance to survivors of the recent catastrophic floods that left dozens of people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.

Representatives from God’s Pit Crew say they are sending 60 volunteers on Sunday, Aug. 14 to help clear debris, remove trees, and clean up the areas that were hit the hardest. The volunteers will spend at least two weeks providing aid.

God’s Pit Crew’s director of public and media relations, Suzanne Boase Honeycutt, says that the process of preparing for a disaster like this is a bit more involved.

“Our immediate response coordinator teaches classes in how to run a chainsaw. We teach people how to safely get on a roof and tarp a roof or repair a roof. There is a lot involved with going in,” Honeycutt explained.

Honeycutt says a big part of the preparation involved working alongside emergency response and law enforcement organizations to make sure the volunteers are bringing the most vital relief supplies to the areas that need it most.

“There’s a lot of moving parts that goes into our preparations for leaving,” Honeycutt said.

Along with the manpower from all the volunteers, God’s Pit Crew is bringing several tractor-trailers full of equipment and supplies for residents trying to rebuild their lives and homes.

“We will be hitting the ground running Monday morning with our volunteers getting out to remove debris; cut trees; tarp rooves; muck homes; help dry out homes; chainsaws, dehumidifiers, tarps, and a lot of people with a lot of love in their hearts trying to help those who desperately need it,” said Honeycutt.

The volunteers are scheduled to be in eastern Kentucky for three weeks, but Honeycutt says this is subject to change depending on the needs and circumstances of the situation.

Honeycutt tells WFXR News that the work the volunteers will be doing can be both mentally and physically taxing, but can make a huge difference for those whose lives were altered by the flooding. She also wants people to know that God’s Pit Crew is accepting new volunteers, welcoming anyone who is interested.