NEWBERRY COUNTY — With everything happening in the world with novel coronavirus (COVID-19), stories of kindness and generosity continue to be told.
After hearing from truckers that supply stores were not able to get food via drive-throughs, the Newberry County 911 Center (dispatch) went to the weigh station (on I-26 near the Mid-Carolina Club) and gave away meals. Sheriff Lee Foster said, via a Facebook post by the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, that they paid for these meals out of their own pockets to service their community.
“We appreciate your service and concerns,” he said.
Terri Lawson, 911 supervisor, said they were seeing stories where truckers were having trouble getting food, which inspired them to pass out meals.
“They couldn’t go inside and eat and couldn’t walk up to the drive-trough. We wanted to do something to help them and thought this might be a good idea,” she said.
Lawson said they made a list of everything they needed and everyone just picked what they would bring.
“We met at the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday morning (March 31) and made the sandwiches and packed everything up. We contacted State Transport Police several days earlier, to talk to them about using the weigh station, and they were very helpful,” she said.
While this was the first time they did that, Lawson said they would definitely love to do it again — so the ones who were working dispatch that day will get a chance to participate.
“It was all dispatchers, We only had six at the weigh station, but there were several more who donated what we needed,” she said.
As for the truckers, Lawson said they were very grateful.
“I’m not sure if it was the lunch or just knowing that people are thinking of them and are grateful for what they do to keep America supplied. It was also very gratifying for us, just to see their smiles,” she said.
Lawson, Tammy Claytor, Rachel Cleveland, Abbi Cook, Dalton Reynolds and Maria Torres were at the weigh station that day, but everyone at dispatch pitched in to furnish supplies, according to Lawson.
Lawson said they passed out 50 bag lunches in less than 45 minutes.
