SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. — A leaky roof has been a constant struggle for Willie Mae Cokley.
She spent her life in a home on the south side of Sumter, and, after asking around town for assistance to no avail, she began praying that someone could help.
"Finally, I said Lord, I need to see somebody to help me with this roof. If I don't, one of these days it's going to rain and it's going to cave in over on me," Cokley said.
A community member recommended she contact Sumter United Ministries.
"Within two weeks, they been calling me and saying we coming to look at your roof," Cokley said. "I said, Lord have mercy. Thank you Jesus; thank you Jesus."
This month, her prayers were answered when volunteers from the organization came to assist.
"We... try to help carry the burden for people. Be like a neighbor," Mark Champagne, the group's executive director, said. "It could be through our crisis relief ministry, our shelter, our free medical clinic, our education ministry and today, you can see our construction ministry."
He says they rely heavily on volunteers and donations to make it all happen.
On Monday, as they continued working on her home, it was only two of them there to carry the load.
"We hope to have a lot more folks come out and help us," Champagne said. "If somebody could come out for even a half a day, a couple of hours... we'll find a way to get them plugged in."
It's help that people like Cokley are thankful for.
"I hope and pray that they can keep on doing what they doing, 'cause Lord knows, if it wasn't for them, I don't know what in the world I would do," Cokley said. "I didn't have the money to put another roof on the house."
Those interested in volunteering, donating, or receiving services from Sumter United Ministries can find out how on their website.