A river overflow of the Appomattox separated people walking from the parking lot to FACES Food Pantry and the Islamic Center of Prince Edward County during the height of the flooding Saturday.

Earlier in the morning, volunteers hoisted children on carts to bring them across the expanse of water to FACES while the parents walked beside them in sneakers or boots.

Volunteers struggled to rescue as much food from FACES as possible.

Machinery sloshed through the thigh-level water as they scrambled to put paper bags, cereal, popcorn and other items on higher shelves so they would not be pulled away.

I’m not sure how to describe the panic the volunteers had to tamp down for the sake of being practical, to prevent the food that would feed hundreds of people from being submerged, drowned or carried by the flooding.

Area businesses and places of worship also faced closures and damage from the flooding, including the Islamic Center of Prince Edward County, which Khalil Latif, the imam, said 2 feet of water entered the inside of the building, making it uninhabitable and causing congregation members to remove the carpeting. 

I feel angry. It’s difficult to accept that a few feet of flood water can wipe out food that people need to live, or undo the work of a lot of compassionate and hardworking people.

If horror is your reaction, if it’s anger, if it makes you want to cry, know there are avenues to channel those feelings into action.

To help provide space for the center or aid in repairing the flooring and carpeting, contact Latif at the Law Office of Khalil W. Latif at (434) 315-0360.

Linda Sakowski with FACES said the main phone line is down due to the flooding, but encouraged people to visit www.facesfoodpantry.com, to donate funds via PayPal, to look out for a potential GoFundMe or call Sakowski at (434) 265-0278.

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia, LLC. Her email address is Emily.Hollingsworth@FarmvilleHerald.com.