Like mother, like daughter

New PeachCenter Ministries Director Tammie McGee (second from left) believes the organization's stable of reliable volunteers has made her job transition much easier. For Tammie McGee, saying her mother cast a large shadow in the community would be an understatement.

The Gaffney resident watched as her mom, the former PeachCenter Ministries director met the needs of needy and homeless persons in the area. Giving away food, clothes and funds to pay for medicine and utilities, Joann Harrison devoted much of her life to God's work.

"Mom loved this and wanted to do all she could to help people," McGee said.

Though she worked for a number of years as the nonprofit organization's financial secretary, McGee never thought she would see the day when anyone — including herself — had to fill her mother's shoes. But when Harrison passed away in July, the scenario she never hoped to happen became a reality.

"At first I wanted to just step in and do as much as possible," McGee said. "I believed it would likely be a temporary thing where I simply was supposed to train the new director."

Little did she know the right person for the job was herself. McGee was recently named the new director of PeachCenter Ministries.

"The Lord started dealing with me about it a few months ago," McGee said. "And I found it was something He wanted me to do."

McGee said she plans no major changes, at least not yet.

'I'm pretty much trying to stay in my mother's mold," McGee said. "But one day I hope we can venture out a little bit.

"Right now we have a few space limitations. But in the future we hope to seek a new building that will give us opportunities to counsel people rather than just giving food and clothes."

PeachCenter has 10 volunteers who work on a daily basis at the organization's headquarters downtown, many of whom helped McGee's mother. Such familiarity has made things easy for her, helping assure her this is only the beginning of better things to come.

"Everyone is doing their part, just as they have done for so many years," McGee said. "My mom loved this, and we are doing what we can to continue the Lord's work."

PeachCenter is looking for donors to contribute food and personal items, clothes and money to help the needy within the community.

For more information, call (864) 489-2549.