Pam Otts's late husband, John C. Otts, M.D., spent many years supporting veterans returning from Afghanistan by teaching them how to hunt, garden, fish, and keep bees. After he died, Pam found her own way to serve by cooking and feeding homeless people every week.
What began as a personal mission grew into the Widow's Oil Ministry, a nonprofit organization in Laurens County dedicated to assisting people in crisis. Referrals for those who need assistance come directly from community organizations, including mental health centers, schools, public health departments, religious centers, and rehabilitation programs.
"We don't perform miracles, but we do offer many small acts of service that add up," says Pam. "We work with just about every service organization in Laurens County."
Widow's Oil Ministry meets needs both big and small. Team members set up apartments for people who have suffered catastrophic loss or homelessness, provide monetary assistance, maintain an emergency food pantry, give away bicycles to adults needing transportation, help with school supplies, and make purchases like dentures for individuals who would otherwise go without them.
The organization's support can be short-term or long-term. For example, Widow's Oil Ministry sponsored one student for three years. When he graduated from high school, he earned a full scholarship to college, but he had none of the supplies necessary to begin higher education. Widow's Oil Ministry stepped in, providing a computer and other essentials to help him start his next chapter.
In 2024 alone, the nonprofit set up 158 apartments for veterans, people completing rehabilitation, individuals re-entering the community after incarceration, fire victims, and those transitioning out of homelessness. The organization provides everything a person would need for a fresh start such as furnishings, clothing, kitchen supplies, bedding, and other basics.
The organization also partners with local oncology and pediatric practices who identify patients and families who are struggling. Widow's Oil Ministry may provide baby formula, nutritious food to those undergoing treatment, or cover co-pays so a patient can have a chemotherapy port installed.
"This is the most selfish thing I've ever done in my life. I get more out of it than I can ever give," says Pam. "We witness mothers burst into tears when we provide personal hygiene supplies because they can't be purchased with food stamps. We see the pride of adults who receive not just a bicycle, but independence. It is truly humbling."
For more information, visit https://widowsoilministry.net/ or Widow's Oil Ministry Facebook page.
------------------------------
About Cingo: The name Cingo means to surround and secure, conveying the company's commitment to home protection. The company has been protecting families in the Southeast since 1974. It provides home protection services throughout Georgia and South Carolina, including Atlanta, Augusta, Charleston, Douglas, Dublin, Milledgeville, Savannah, Vidalia, Waycross and all points in between. Cingo was named a Best Place to Work in Georgia by Georgia Trend Magazine and listed as a National Best & Brightest Company to Work For. Learn more at www.cingohome.com.