Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Operation Sharing program is helping communities prepare for natural disasters by providing generators to fire departments in Rockcastle, Jackson, and McCreary counties. Sixteen fire departments across the three counties each received 16 generators to loan to residents who lose  power during emergencies. The generators were made possible through a partnership with Feed the Children.  

Floods, tornadoes, and ice storms have all impacted Kentucky’s Appalachian counties in the past year. This underscores the unique challenges rural communities face when disasters strike. It can take days for residents to access essential supplies and additional days or even weeks to get power restored. These challenges can compound the strain on children, their families, and seniors already in crisis.

“We are grateful for the donations of generators we receive from Feed the Children. Because of their support, we hope to continue distributing generators to more communities to help them prepare for future disasters,” said Ben Ridner, CAP’s Operation Sharing manager in Corbin.

The idea of equipping local fire departments to respond to natural disasters came after Operation Sharing’s experience distributing supplies last year following deadly tornadoes in Southeastern Kentucky.  

“Somerset was very hard to navigate with the debris and damage from the storm,” Ridner said. “It was challenging for us to get into communities to distribute essential items to people in need. We could not drive our semis into the area and had to use pickup trucks and trailers instead. We partnered with a local fire department, and they became a small hub for us to take supplies to and then distribute out into the impacted communities.”

Along with the generators, Operation Sharing provides tarps, storage totes, air mattresses, dehumidifiers, and other items that local departments can use and distribute to people in need following a disaster.

“The generators and other essential items will allow fire departments to be able to respond quickly during disasters,” Ridner said. “In disaster response efforts, every minute counts and items like generators can even save lives.”