SALEM, IL — “I felt pretty helpless,” 28-year-old Harvey Evans V said as he summarized the historic flooding that hit downtown Salem on the evening of April 4.
He witnessed the disaster unfolding just a quarter of a mile from his family’s third-generation store, Produce Plus.
“I noticed a good friend of mine, who is a first responder, standing next to the main stop light, water getting pretty close to his waist,” Evans told FarmWeek. “They were doing everything they could but just had to wait for the rain to stop.”
The next morning, Evans thought of a way to turn that helplessness into hope. Produce Plus offered free breakfast and lunch and delivered meals to first responders, volunteers and flood victims.
“It was for any community members who needed some hot food because they were out of their house, didn’t have hot water, their gas was shut off, etc.,” he said. “We have heard so many stories of how terrible this really was.”
Produce Plus handed out 311 meals the day after the flooding and then on Sunday of that week, a day they are normally closed, they gave away more than 400.
“There were so many families that were extremely grateful. Many, many happy tears were shed,” Evans said.
As word spread about the disaster in Salem, a national nonprofit called World Central Kitchen reached out to Produce Plus to help fund their efforts into the following week.
“We’re very lucky that we live in a small community, and we don’t have a lot of tragedies like they do in the big city,” Evans said. “We live in a place where everything is pretty slow.”
Community members were quick to rally together, giving donations to Produce Plus to provide more meals.
“The best part about being in a small town is everybody comes together, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, what you look like or what you drive,” he explained.
Evans said the donations became overwhelming.
“I thought, ‘What can we do for the community to show them even more grace, compassion, give them hope and inspire them to move forward?’” he said.
Produce Plus used the money to provide Easter meals for those who could use some extra help or hope during the holiday, noting that many lost both memorable and valuable items in the flood.
Evans credits his mother, who passed away in 2023 after a long battle with cancer, for teaching him and his brother the importance of a servant’s heart.
“She instilled in us when we were very young men that if it was necessary and you had the means to do so, to help others,” he recalled. “She wanted us to be good people, and she knew the way to really be a good person was to help anybody that you could.”
Evans said he carries that with him every day, not only when tragedy strikes. While visiting St. Louis recently, his family gave some change and a snack to a man who appeared to be homeless.
“He had tears in his eyes and the first thing he did was open up that snack and started eating it,” he said. “You have the ability to change somebody’s life with a $5 bill and a NutriGrain bar.”
Evans said growing up in a farming town also fuels his compassion.
“Farmers are the first people I know that will be there and literally give the shirt off their back if you need it, that’s just what they do,” Evans said. “This town is full of farmers and there’s nothing better than that.”
*Rhiannon Branch, RFD Radio Network*