When Summerville Needed Him, Kevin Godfrey Showed Up — Again

When fire destroyed Henry’s BBQ, it didn’t just take a building — it took livelihoods. For the owners and the one employee, the loss was devastating. No income. No insurance to help with the cleanup. And a massive pile of burned debris left behind that felt impossible to tackle alone.

 

When Kevin Godfrey, owner of Godfrey’s Tree Service in Summerville, saw an online post about an employee needing help with their power bill, he donated immediately.

What happened next changed everything.

 

Darlene Henry called Kevin personally to thank him. They stayed on the phone for a long time. She explained the overwhelming reality they were facing — her husband would be at the burned site the next day, trying to salvage what he could and figure out how to deal with the debris.

 

Kevin told her he’d try to stop by and help.

 

Thursday evening, after finishing tree jobs for the day, Kevin and his crew showed up. Friday morning, he had another idea: ask the community to pitch in.

 

And they did.

 

Immediately after Kevin posted his plan and asked for help, the calls came in.

“We have a trailer and will come get a couple of loads.”
“We will have a driver there in about an hour.”
“I don’t have a trailer, but do you have any extra gloves?”
“We have a track hoe and dump trailer, do you think we can help?”
“I am working in Rome, but can I support in other ways?”

 

What took place was more than work — it was community.

 

Many volunteers worked steadily and saw the project through to its very last load. They are the only reason the cleanup finished so quickly.

 

Local businesses hauled debris to the transfer station and paid the disposal fees out of their own pockets. Their generosity went beyond donating time and equipment — they willingly took on additional costs to ensure this cleanup could happen.

 

This isn’t the first time Kevin Godfrey has answered the call.

 

When Summerville was without water for over ten days, Godfrey’s Tree Service took a week off from work to help load cars and deliver water to older people and those without a way to get water. They had tankers and buckets of water for residents to fill so they could flush their toilets. His work and effort during the water crisis earned him recognition from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

He’s fed 500 people Thanksgiving meals at Dowdy Park. He’s auctioned off chainsaws for charity. He’s there for the community at Halloween, giving out candy, and at Christmas, donating toys and gifts.

 

We are lucky that Kevin lives in our community. And without a doubt, if there is a need and he can help, he will not hesitate to step in.

Henry’s BBQ may be gone, but the love and support wrapping around the Henry family proves what Summerville is really made of — people like Kevin Godfrey who don’t just talk about helping. They grab their tools and get to work.