Thirty-eight truckloads of wood were chopped and loaded into trucks for delivery by volunteers.

Armed with trucks, wood splitters and cutters, axes and willing hands and spirit, 113 Summit Men’s group members and other volunteers from Chesapeake Church in Huntingtown cut, loaded and delivered free firewood to less fortunate families on Saturday, Dec. 3. The men delivered between a half cord to three cords of firewood at each stop. For many, the firewood will be their only source of heat during the winter months, according to a press release.

Jeremy Robinson of Prince Frederick, Chesapeake Church’s community life director, said 33 different homes received deliveries, with a total of 38 truckloads loaded up.

“It was an amazing day,” Robinson said. “We had 113 volunteers, which included the Summit Men’s group. Men brought their sons, there were also wives who came along. It was amazing how much wood we got processed in such a short time. It was obvious God was moving through the biblical community to help those in need. It was truly an amazing day.”

Jaqueline Hahn, director of communications for End Hunger in Calvert County, said volunteers were “there all morning and into late afternoon,” cutting, splitting and loading up the trucks for delivery.

“It was a pretty cool year,” Hahn said. “There were a lot of dads and sons and a lot of youth, which is good to see. It is good to see the community coming together, serving the needs of the community.”

This is the fifth year that Chesapeake Church has spearheaded the Firewood for Families endeavor. This year brought the largest number of volunteers and more than doubled the amount of deliveries; 90 percent of the deliveries were to Calvert County residents.

“The need is out there and it is strong,” said Chet Taylor, Chesapeake Church’s Summit Men’s Leader, in the release. “The men at the church answered the call to serve. I hear the stories of how the men who delivered the wood are just as touched as the firewood recipients when they return to the church. It is rather humbling.”

The majority of the families who received the firewood utilize the church’s Chesapeake Cares Food Pantry and others came from referrals. The food pantry serves more than 450 families every week.

“I’m very thankful for the wood delivery,” a Firewood for Families recipient said in the release. “I cannot thank the church enough as I use the food pantry, the twice a year oil changes and now the wood delivery.”

For the fifth straight year, Summit Men’s Member Steve Krouse manned the splitter and cutter to help those who need help to stay warm this winter.

“I do this to serve the Lord, to help those in need,” he said in the release. “This is my way of giving back to those less fortunate.”

As the men, women and even young children cut, split and loaded trucks for delivery, the Chesapeake Cares Serving Seniors team was preparing food for delivery around Calvert County. Hunger does not take the weekends off and the Serving Seniors provide hot meals on weekends. And later that same Saturday at Chesapeake Church, a 24-hour prayer event was held with the last hour culminating in an Unhindered praise worship led by the church’s praise band Scattered Leaves. More than 350 people were in attendance, the release states.

“Bottom line is those who attend Chesapeake Church have a servant’s heart,” Taylor said. “They are called and answer every time. It’s contagious and the number of volunteering continues to grow.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities or learn about Chesapeake Church, go to chesapeakechurch.org, or call 410-257-0700.

Staff writer ROB PERRY contributed to this report.