DAHLONEGA, Ga. – As a winter storm threatens North Georgia this weekend, the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office is ramping up its firewood assistance program to help vulnerable residents prepare for potential power outages and freezing temperatures.
The program, overseen by chaplain Ricky Woody, provides free firewood to disabled residents, seniors, and others living on fixed incomes. Many rely primarily on electric heat but use fireplaces or wood stoves as a backup during outages.
Woody said the program was originally launched several years ago under Stacy Jarrard but was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. When Woody joined the sheriff’s office four years ago, he approached Jarrard about restarting it after seeing a similar program succeed in a neighboring county.
“He said, ‘That would be great. Let’s start it back up,’” Woody said.
The first year, firewood was cut and split by hand, a process Woody called “a labor of love.” The following year, the sheriff’s office purchased a log splitter, allowing crews to significantly increase production.
The program operates largely on an honor system, with information shared through the sheriff’s office Facebook page. Assistance is prioritized for disabled residents, people with disabilities, and senior citizens — a sizable portion of Lumpkin County’s population, Woody said.
With winter weather approaching, demand has increased sharply.
“If the power goes out, a lot of people are total electric,” Woody said. “Some of them have a fireplace or a little wood stove.”
Woody said seniors and disabled residents living on fixed incomes are especially vulnerable, noting that the cost of firewood has risen dramatically in recent years.
“I used to sell a load of firewood for $100 or $110,” he said. “Now loads are $250. Like everything else, it’s doubled, and a lot of them just can’t afford it.”
Firewood for the program is donated by local contractors and land-clearing crews who contact Woody when hardwood trees are cleared from construction sites. The logs are delivered to a designated area at the county government shop, where they are cut, split, and prepared for distribution.
As the storm nears, Woody said crews have been working extended hours to keep up with demand.
“For the last five or six days, we’ve been going wide open from eight in the morning until four or five o’clock,” he said. “We’ve been loading trucks and doing everything we can.”
Woody said Friday is the last day he can guarantee firewood will be available for pickup, though that could change depending on the storm’s path and road conditions.
County crews and the Georgia Department of Transportation have been salting roads and staging gravel, but Woody stressed safety will remain the top priority.
“If it gets to a certain point, we’re not going to endanger county employees or deputies,” he said. “If we can’t get to you, we’re not going to wreck or get someone killed trying to do it.”
Woody encouraged residents to prepare early, noting that many people wait until severe weather is imminent.
“People aren’t always good about getting prepared,” he said. “It’s like propane — nobody calls until they see a storm on TV and say, ‘Oh Lord, I need gas.’”
Members of the public can also support the program by helping cover the cost of equipment and supplies, particularly chains for chainsaws, which Woody said are essential and increasingly expensive.
Chains can be purchased through Anderson Feed and Hardware, where the sheriff’s office has an account set up specifically for the firewood program.
Residents who need firewood assistance, or who know someone in need, are encouraged to contact the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office or email Amanda Fant at Amanda.Fant@lumpkincounty.gov for more information.
