PicturePowell YOKE Club making sandwiches for the fire fighters and rescue workers.

Monday night, November 28, 2016, is a day most East Tennesseans won’t forget for a long time – especially those living in Sevier County. The wildfires there were large, wide-spread and out of control, leaving many people in Sevier County homeless. YOKE Kids and YOKE Folk have been serving in a variety of ways since that tragedy.

On Tuesday, November 29, Powell YOKE Folk bought supplies and met YOKE Kids early at club to make sandwiches for fire fighters from Knoxville who were working long hours with little sleep and very little time to eat. (One of our YOKE leaders’ dad is a spokesperson for the fire department so we know the sandwiches were in good hands.) 

On Saturday, Norris YOKE Folk got a call about the need for volunteers at the Boyd’s Bear distribution center in Pigeon Forge. A group of YOKE Folk and YOKE Kids quickly assembled to meet the need and worked most of the day sorting and organizing diapers and wipes, women’s clothes, children’s toys, art supplies, books, stuffed animals and more. They also unloaded several trucks and trailers from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Georgia. Seeing families, many of whom were left with nothing, come into the distribution center to get food, toiletries, and basic supplies, made a lasting impression on both YOKE Kids and YOKE Folk. (Some are even eager to return to help again in the near future.)  

YOKE Folk mentor and serve middle school kids with the goal of connecting them with Christ. Last week that involved standing with them in service and sharing the love of Christ with a hurting community. Ethan, a YOKE Folk from Norris said, “It’s important to have a heart to help others – it’s about changing someone’s life for the better.”

YOKE is looking for more volunteers like these Powell and Norris YOKE Folk to pour into middle school kids next semester. For more information on how you can get involved, visit our volunteer page or email us at yoke@yokeyouth.com.