Partner Spotlight – Brent Handshoe

In the aftermath of the 2022 flood in Eastern Kentucky, our Appalachia field made lasting connections with locals who also have a heart for service. Shining brightest is Brent Handshoe. After the flood he and two other friends started the nonprofit Feeding East Kentucky to meet the needs of their community. Brent continued his community outreach after the immediate disaster by partnering with CrossRoads Missions to help families and churches rebuild.

Brent is full of stories and heart for his community, only a couple of which we are able to share here.

Brent in a planning meeting for Feeding East Kentucky

Flood Relief

While helping neighbors muck out their homes and seeing the devastation and lack of resources firsthand, Brent realized the need extended past clean-up efforts. Rising water damaged refrigerators, contaminated food supplies, and closed local restaurants and grocery stores. The need for food was immediate and staggering.

Alongside friends Tonya Shepherd-Hatfield and Cara Stewart, Brent started a non-profit named Feeding East Kentucky. They shared on their Facebook page that “we started with a grill and a turkey fryer on a carport feeding 600 people the first day. I’ve had the privilege of watching my friends, neighbors, family, and complete strangers come together, volunteer their time to help give thousands of hot meals to families in Floyd, Knott, Perry, Letcher, and Breathitt counties.”

Through partnering with locals, international NGO’s such as World Central Kitchen, and local non-profits like CrossRoads Missions, local churches, and more, Feeding East Kentucky reached thousands in a short time. They provided not only food, but needed supplies through Brent’s “Free Yard Sales,” jobs working in the kitchen to locals in need, and prayer, community, and a listening ear to everyone they met.

Local Willie Elliot praises Bent’s service and heart, “During this heroic effort, Brent was saved and found time to get to church at least once a week during this hectic period. I sent Brent this left handed compliment: Brent, I don’t want you to get the bighead, but you, my friend, is a prime example of a hometown hero. You see Brent does all that he does not for his honor but for the honor of God.”

Brent and fellow volunteers at a toy drive

Working with Volunteers

Brent started working with volunteers in the kitchen for Feeding East Kentucky, and was inspired by the overflowing generosity not only from locals, but volunteers coming into the area as well. Early on in the relief effort, Brent met with CJ and Tim, our field leaders in Appalachia, to discuss using the kitchen and volunteers. It became a lasting partnership as relief efforts turned to recovery.

CJ’s passion in speaking about Appalachia touched Brent’s heart, “here we have strangers that care enough about our community that want to come here and help. And then when I started meeting the volunteers, their selfless acts of kindness and their compassion and devotion just blew me away. So CrossRoads will forever hold a very dear place in my heart.”

Brent has been a lifelong member of the Church of God in Gerret, a short drive from our home base in Maytown. The small church had extensive water damage, and little resources to renovate. Brent reflects on seeing the damage for the first time, “I saw the church and the state it was in, it really hurt my heart so bad because I knew that we didn’t have a lot of money in the church to help rebuild.”

The congregation did what they could to muck out the building, and continued holding services in the wreckage. “I remember sitting in church on Sundays,” recalled Brent, “looking around at four feet down was all just raw drywall or insulation poking out of the walls. We had rough floors from just particleboard. We didn’t even have floor coverings. All of our pews were completely destroyed.” CrossRoads was able to step in, replacing drywall, insulation, flooring, and re-painting the sanctuary.

“Volunteers also bring the spiritual side of this. I’ve watched the volunteers come and pray over the people. For the people over the properties are churches. It’s infectious and I hope that our community sees these volunteers and they want to practice what they see. Maybe it’s some way that the younger generation here sees these volunteers and gets you interested in what’s happening at that church.”

Volunteers working with Brent on new flooring at the church

Hope for the Future

“I hope it’s infectious that people just see this and want to continue to do it and just lift one another up here,” continued Brent. “The world is so full of negativity. The positive side of this is just wonderful to feel and everyone should experience it at least once in their life. To have someone come by and offer a deed for them without charge, and just offer a prayer and have just a wonderful day with each other.”

One of Bent’s dreams is to bring children back into the church. “We have prayed many times as a church to bring the youth back into the church. And God is answering those prayers right now with CrossRoads. The groups of children that are coming here are such wonderful children that they restored my faith in humanity. They restored my faith in the children.”

His hope is that the local community will be inspired by these volunteers from all over the country working in the church and in homes sharing the love of God. “And, we hope that we get so many talented people that come in and want to help participate in the church, that we can pass that baton one day and not fear.”

That hope spreads into the homes as well. This part of Appalachia has been struggling since the coal industries left. Those companies built many of the towns, and Brent explained how many young families have left the area due to lack of opportunity and resources. Those that remain are too old or too sick from work in the mines to repair their homes.

“Volunteers come here and they spruce up their property, and it looks so much better. That is just a gift to the community, and we hope that spreads by people taking that pride of ownership back in their property again, and just having that moment that they can be proud of, a place that they live in, the most beautiful area in the country and their home may reflect that once again, when they couldn’t afford to do it.”

Brent speaking to a CrossRoads group at the Maytown Center