Yokefellow shares the burden with those in need

Cherry Smith was already familiar with the services and programs offered through Yokefellow Service Center in Spindale before becoming the organization's executive director earlier this year. Smith has been with the organization for six years, working in client services.

Yokefellow Service Center has provided assistance to those in the community, as well as programs such as the prison ministry, for almost 50 years. While leadership may have changed in 2016, the offerings provided will continue - and grow, Smith said.

The organization's thrift store has already undergone updates with computerized registers, and a new logo has been unveiled.

"We spent a lot of time thinking about the logo, because one of the questions I'm most asked is 'What does Yokefellow mean?'" Smith explained.

"The best definition is that a yoke is a burden, and a Yokefellow is a working partner," she continued. "I wanted to maintain the yoke in the image so you can see it and relate, and to also say what we're about."

What the organization is about is offering a variety of assistance to those in crisis.

"It's very rare that we send someone out the door without any help at all," Smith said. "The hardest part of seeing clients is making decisions. We have to make them based on their needs along with what we are financially able to help with."

Yokefellow began in 1967 when the pastor of First United Methodist Church and a church member visited the National Headquarters of Yokefellow in Indiana. It was initially created by Christians of all denominations to develop opportunities for the disadvantaged, and was staffed by volunteers. Services were funded by donations by churches and individuals, just as it is today.

Many donations come through items donated to sell in the thrift store. And, there's always a treasure to be found, Smith explained.

"Once we had someone come in and buy a pack of baseball cards for $3, and it contained a card worth $350," she said. "We get antiques and military trunks, books you can't find anywhere else."

Volunteers help to make the thrift store a success, Smith said.

"Our volunteers are the most amazing, and they are so faithful," she said. "We have 35 to 40 volunteers - and each job they make theirs. They are my daily dose of cheer."

Seeing the difference made for clients is what inspires Smith and other employees.

"We had a little girl come in with her grandmother, who had just moved here from another state. They had nothing," Smith said. "So as I talked with the grandmother, I asked the little girl if she wanted to draw. As we talked, I learned that her dog had gotten run over ... I asked if it was OK to give her a stuffed animal.

"I offered her a stuffed dog, and she grabbed and said 'I'll love it forever.' For someone, you make a difference."

If you would like to volunteer or make a donation to Yokefellow Service Center, call 828-287-0776 or email yokefellow1@att.net.