"The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Matthew 13:31-32)

Roy Mikels grew up in the majestic surroundings and rolling hills of the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.

The beauty of God's masterpiece was on display before his eyes on a daily basis with grassy fields and rushing brooks serving as companions on long summer days.

Amid the mountainous wonder, however, there were also valleys.

It was the 1930s; the Great Depression and poverty were also a constant unwelcome guest to many in the small town of Sylva.

His early childhood contact with poverty as well as his experiences in World War II Ireland and later North Africa all helped lay the foundation for Mikels' desire to help those less fortunate.

More than a half century later, the mustard seed has indeed grown in the blossoming of the Cooperative Church Ministries of Orangeburg, proving a secure refuge for thousands of less fortunate to "dwell in its branches" receiving the sustenance they need to make it through each day.

In observance of its longevity, CCMO observed its 20th anniversary Sunday evening at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

"I have seen a world of change between the way things were then and how they are today," said Mikels, who currently serves as the CCMO chairman of the board.

CCMO was formed in 1988 when 12 area churches decided to reach out and help those less fortunate.

The idea of forming a cooperative ministry to serve the needy in Orangeburg County had been discussed among church leaders for a long time as it was a common occurrence for the needy to go to various churches seeking assistance, Mikels said.

"The assistance to the poor in town had been highly unsatisfactory," he said, noting there was a time when the poor would be bounced from various agencies to receive assistance.

It was then that the late Pauline Atwill, who was in charge of missions at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, decided to take the reins on what would eventually become CCMO.

Mikels, who had recently retired from the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities and is a member of St. Andrews, inquired about helping to run the organization and was given the OK.

The fledgling group did not have any place to call its headquarters, so Woodrow Holman, the owner of Holman Grocery Store at Maple and Russell streets, offered the 5,000-square-foot building rent-free.

"When we first began to prepare the building we did not have a cent of money," Mikels said. "But we have now occupied this building for 20 years and don't pay rent. If we had to pay rent, it would have taken such a whack at the monies that we have coming in."

Mikels recalls approaching then-St. Andrews pastor the Rev. Sam Harmon with some assistance.

"St. Andrews gave me a check for $500," he said. "It was the first money we ever had."

Prior to the opening of CCMO, there was a two-year preparation process.

The group applied to the Internal Revenue Service to be approved as a non-profit organization, an applicant-screening process was created and a distribution methodology of aid was developed. Volunteers were trained to screen applicants and a board of directors was elected.

As word spread, so did the help.

Palmetto Office Supply provided the group desks, shelves and filing cabinets, and the men of St. Matthews United Methodist Church and Northside Baptist Church provided carpentry work on other needed furniture. All was done free of charge.

A pickup truck was donated and another was purchased to help the organization haul furniture donations and food stuffs from the Harvest Hope Food Bank in Columbia. Its relationship with Harvest Hope allows the organization to purchase food commodities at 14 cents a pound.

There were some early difficulties.

The truck purchased to transport food would consistently overheat near Sweetwater Road on the way back.

But Agnes Glover, CCMO executive director, said there has been a lot of praying going on then and ever since. She credits divine Providence for the success.

"We prayed for the truck when it went to Columbia and for when it comes back," Glover said. "We have prayed a lot. We pray for ourselves and we pray for the organization. God has been so good."

On April 18, 1988, CCMO officially opened its doors

In the beginning, the group offered clothes and food.

"We thought that was all poor people needed," Mikels said, noting the first clothing donation CCMO received was from the Myers' Gulf Station at Doyle and Calhoun Drive.

But before long it was evident the group needed to expand.

Soon CCMO was helping individuals pay for their prescription drugs and has since helped with payment of electric bills, fuel, furniture and, occasionally, bus tickets and motel rooms.

The CCMO Center now maintains a stock of clothing and a food pantry as well as a storage of furniture, cooking utensils, dishes, bed linen and other household items.

Currently, CCMO has a registered nurse and a budget adviser on site on Wednesdays. The ministry also has a working relationship with the Orangeburg Family Health Center, as well as pharmacies in the area that help reduce prescription costs for clientele.

As the organization has grown, so has the need for oversight.

CCMO is staffed by about 35 volunteers from participating churches and is overseen by a board of clergy and board of directors.

Glover serves as the center's executive director. The entire operation operates without a payroll.

CCMO has from its inception provided about 146,708 individuals with food, 64,296 with clothing and about 53,257 with other aid such as utilities, rent and medicines.

Mikels recalled one of the first clients CCMO ever helped.

A man by the name of Earl Williams, who was wheelchair-bound because of an amputation of one of his legs as a result of diabetes, arrived at CCMO seeking assistance.

"He had an old refrigerator in which he could keep insulin cold, but the thing had conked out," Mikels said. "The volunteers went home and the next day we had three refrigerators donated to us."

And then there is the love offered.

A Rowesville gentleman by the name of Ulysses Busky, who was suffering from prostate cancer, approached needing some medication.

"We could buy some but he was on shots that cost about $400 a piece," Mikels said. "There was no way we could do that."

But there was one thing CCMO could do.

"One thing Ulysses liked was canned peaches," Mikels said. "He got to a point when he could not come. I took the canned peaches down to his place in Rowesville and just talked with him and gave him the peaches. He loved those canned sliced peaches."

The principal source of CCMO revenue is monthly donations from member churches and individuals.

Each church member contributes a monthly amount financially and volunteers based on the size of church membership. The higher the membership, the larger the monthly contribution.

"When we first began, we would go to the supermarket to get a buggy and buy food," Mikels said, noting the buggy-full would provide a day's worth of goods.

"As the place has grown, we have a truck given to us by Community Resources Bank," he said. "That truck goes to Columbia and the truck today brings back 8,000 pounds of food."

Mikels said perhaps one of the most significant challenges facing the nonprofit has been the increasing cost of living.

"When we first opened, you could get rent for $75 a month," he said. "Today, rent will average around $300 a month. The average person who comes in here cannot pay his or her utility bills or buy the necessities for living."

For Glover, the position has been more of a calling than a job.

A native of Orangeburg, Glover returned to the area after a sojourn to New York as part of her teaching career.

"God has been good to me," Glover said. "I have had some ups and downs, but I guess I have had more ups than downs. It is not how many times you fall down but how many times that you get up."

An avid fisherwoman, the 84-year old Glover said when she retired she had plans to fish and fish some more while working for her church and CCMO part-time.

Upon the departure of CCMO Director Brother Jeremiah O'Leary of the Order of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier, Glover was "spewed" upon her new position, even though she came in "kicking and screaming."

"They recommended me and "I said, no not that job.' I know how Jonas (Jonah) felt when the whale spewed him up," she said. "He spewed him up just where he needed to be."

And looking back, it has been an experience.

"The harvest is great but the laborers are few," she said. "I think that is what k.jpg me going."

With a growing harvest and increasing challenges in meeting emergency needs, Mikels said the organization also receives financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has also partnered with various other agencies including the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities.

The partnership with DPU and its Project Good Neighbor program has provided CCMO with the opportunity to expand its outreach to include utility assistance.

The project's funds come from donations made by DPU customers, who sign up to add $1 to $10 to their monthly bill. The money is funneled directly to CCMO, which then helps financially strapped individuals and families pay energy costs.

The payment process via a voucher or letter of intent is given with CCMO writing a check payable to the agency, doctor or whomever is providing the service.

As part of the screening process, a client must be referred to CCMO by a church, doctor, DSS, the Orangeburg-Calhoun-Allendale,Bamberg Community Action Agency, the Department of Mental Health, CASA and other authorized agencies.

The applicant is assigned an interviewer who determines the validity of the need, the correctness of the information that has been given and the help the applicant is ready to receive.

Clients are referred to appropriate agencies for the long-term solution to their respective problems as well as from which immediate help would be available.

T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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