The power of kindness...

For proof positive that there is still plenty of good left in this world, look no further than a recent outpouring of heartfelt community support for a Huger resident in need.

When Al Jenkins of U.S. Sen. Tim Scott’s office paid a visit to the home of World War II veteran Rufus Lockwood on Cainhoy Road several weeks ago, he noticed that the 90-year-old’s property was in desperate need of repair.

“(Al) came to me and said you need to meet Mr. Rufus Lockwood,” recalled Kathy Crawford, who also works with Sen. Scott, a representative of the state’s First Congressional District. “He told me what was going on with him - that he had holes in his ceiling, holes in the floor.”

So Crawford also paid a visit to the Lockwood home. After observing the conditions, she immediately contacted Daniel Island Company President Matt Sloan, who connected her with the Daniel Island Community Fund. He also put a call in to Bernard Watson of Hearts of Huger, a local non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing and uplifting the community. Watson came out the same day with a couple of contractors, who recommended tearing down the old home and replacing it with a new one. So that’s exactly what they did.

Three weeks later, on Friday, Aug. 25, Mr. Lockwood was given the keys to a brand new house filled with donated furnishings.

“Over 15 different contractors, non-profits, government officials, and individuals wanted to knock a home run with this,” noted Watson, as he and a group of those who participated in the endeavor waited to welcome Mr. Lockwood to the property last week. “We’ve done hundreds of projects in the Cainhoy community. This one takes the cake!”

Lockwood’s son, Garry, of Charlotte, was amazed by the heartfelt gestures of those who helped, as well as the project’s fast completion.

“When I heard about it, I said ‘Dad, this is how God looks. This is what God does,’” recalled Garry. “When you give back, you get back.”

According to Garry, the Lockwood home fell into disrepair first after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Subsequent storms over the years also took a toll.

“It damaged the roof,” said Garry. “So he would patch it, patch it, patch it. Water got in and mold got into the walls. Bernard came through and observed the place and said we gotta do something.”

Clayton Homes provided a discounted house once they heard Mr. Lockwood’s story, added Watson. And the Palmetto Community Action Partnership committed to making the mortgage payments, covering the property taxes, and paying for a hotel stay for Mr. Lockwood during construction.

Nucor Steel, BP, Kathy and David Crawford, the Daniel Island Community Fund, Al Jenkins, North Industrial Contractors, and Hearts of Huger also contributed funding. Charleston Mill Services did the demolition of the old property, the St. Vincent de Paul ministry donated furniture, Seacoast Church provided storage units, Nucor provided a trash dumpster and truck loads of dirt for fill, and the Berkeley County government provided demolition and transportation permits for the project. Thompson Plumbing, Cache Valley Electric, ABC Contractors, and Schueck Steel also provided assistance.

“It was a lot of people who came together,” said Kathy Crawford. “But Hearts of Huger was the angel here.”

Mr. Lockwood, a Marine Corps veteran, made his way down the sidewalk towards the home last Friday, eager to get inside. Described as someone who “always wears a smile,” he could hardly contain his excitement.

“These guys worked so hard,” said Mr. Lockwood. “It’s wonderful. It’s super!”

Inside, Watson handed over the keys after a blessing provided by local pastor Rev. Shawn Chestnut of New Hope/St. Thomas United Methodist Church.

“Our hearts rejoice over kindness,” said Chestnut, as the group joined hands with Mr. Lockwood and gathered in prayer. “Love wins every time.”

Before the crowd dispersed, Mr. Lockwood shared stories of his time as a young, 18-year-old Marine deployed from Moncks Corner to Camp Lejeune, an all African-American camp at the time, to Camp Pendleton in California, to the Pacific for battle in World War II.

“This is history,” noted Watson. “There are not a lot of World War II veterans still with us.”

Mr. Lockwood’s wife, Ollie, will be joining him in the new home, after spending about two months in a medical facility due to health concerns. As he sat in a comfy chair in his refurbished living room, clutching his new set of keys and a “Bless This Home” sign given to him by volunteers, it was clear that Mr. Lockwood’s life is still having an impact - some seven decades after he first stepped up to serve.

“When you serve your country and your society, eventually it will come back to you,” said Watson. “He served in the early 1940s…This is pay it forward, 70 years later.”