Emotional and Spiritual Care: Bringing Hope After Helene in Douglas, Georgia

Emotional and Spiritual Care (ESC) is a cornerstone of Salvation Army Disaster Response. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, a team of ESC officers deployed to Douglas, Georgia to support relief efforts both in the city and the surrounding communities. ESC officers spend time at canteen feeding sites to visit with survivors and offer a comforting shoulder, a listening ear, or a time of prayer.

Captain Keisha McMullin, a Salvation Army Officer from Laurel, Mississippi, is at the helm of the regional ESC team. Although she has previously deployed on local disasters, this is her first time deploying on an undertaking where there is such widespread and thorough devastation. Providing comfort to those experiencing one of the worst moments of their lives seemed an almost impossible task. A task Keisha was willing to take on, yet one that made her nervous.

Despite her fears, she hit the ground running. While The Salvation Army set up feeding operations, Keisha set out on foot in Douglas, speaking to any survivors she came across. Each person recounted tales of terror, survival, and ultimately resilience. As Keisha listened to each testimony, her fears about the magnitude of her task began to fade away.

She said, “I knew in [those] moments I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do.”

In the following days, from dawn to dusk, Keisha met with disaster survivors. Sometimes these interactions lasted for only a few seconds, as survivors passed by in a drive-through distribution line. Other times, she would have the opportunity to meet for much longer, listening to their testimonies of strength, as they recounted the harrowing impact of the storm’s arrival.

Keisha did her best to make a connection with everyone she talked to, saying that “Even when things were moving fast, it didn’t stop me from praying and attempting to restore hope.” As Keisha would pray with one person, others would gather, creating a group of bowed heads amid the chaos—an island of peace in the storm of recovery.

Sometimes though, no words were needed; The gentle holding of the hand, or a compassionate hug would be enough.

When asked why ESC is important in a disaster operation, Keisha said this, “The community isn’t the only thing that a storm destroys. It also destroys hope. People can’t see how they’re going to come back from this. ESC can restore that hope, it can remind survivors that God is with them, that they will make it through these trying times.”

As her work continues, Keisha holds the following refrain from Psalm 30:5 close to her heart: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”