“Several months before coming to Georgia, Lee knew God was doing something really, really big. He said, ‘It’s so big, it’s almost scary and I’ve got to be a part of it.’ . . . Missions were his heart and disaster relief is where he thrived. It was his gift. The first time that Lee and Pastor Mike [Acosta] came to Douglas for an assessment, he was so saddened by the devastation that was everywhere. His heart was incredibly touched by the people he met,” said Sherry Sims, wife of the late Lee Sims, at Tuesday’s dedication of Sims Park in Douglas.
Lee Sims was a part of The Hope Initiative, an organization that came to Douglas in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to assist Douglas and Coffee County in rebuilding efforts. The Hope Initiative, primarily comprised of volunteers from Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas, helped inspire locals to form Hope for Coffee to further address the community’s needs following Helene.
Thanks to The Hope Initiative, Hope for Coffee, and community partners, including Pilgrim’s Pride, the American Red Cross, The Douglas-Coffee County Land Bank Authority, and others, a new housing development will be built on Alunza Street for individuals who were displaced because of Hurricane Helene. There are several funding sources but a $1 million donation from Pilgrim’s is the foundation for the project. Much of the actual construction will be done by members of the Mennonite Disaster Service.
On November 2, 2024, in the early stages of planning for the relief effort, Sims was in Douglas attending a meeting with citizens and local officials. After the meeting, he left to return home. He was about an hour from Douglas when, tragically, he was involved in an auto accident that claimed his life. “Lee called me that day after the meeting. He was on top of the world. He was so excited. He said, ‘Sherry, I was able to speak at the meeting. It was amazing. And I can’t wait to tell you about it.’ Shortly after that call, God called him home,” recalled Sherry. “There are a lot of things I don’t understand. But miracles are messy. They just are sometimes. I believe that God always has a plan. It doesn’t have to make sense and it probably won’t be easy. But we have hope because of Jesus. He was our strength. He is our peace. He will not fail us.”
“Lee was real. I felt there was something genuine about him. He gave his life for Douglas and Coffee County. He didn’t know this was going to come about today. He didn’t know Pilgrim’s was going to give any money. Christ’s time is God’s time. Churches came together and they did so to help others. Lee was here and he was passionate. To his family, I want to say thank you for sharing him with us. We are terribly sorry for your loss. You have to live with his sacrifice. But thank you for sharing him with us,” said City Manager Charlie Davis.
“After Hurricane Helene, all eyes were on North Carolina. But we felt His call to come here. And so did Lee Sims. I’ve been told multiple times by others, and by him as well, that he knew he was right where he was supposed to be. Today, we have an opportunity to look to the future with hope,” said Pastor Stephen Boykin of The Hope Initiative.
JoAnne Lewis, herself a tireless advocate for this community and its most vulnerable citizens, told a story about the Alunza Street property. Originally a city park, albeit a rather sparsely equipped one, the park didn’t get much use. It consisted of a swing set and that’s about it. When JoAnne worked with the city, she approached city leadership with an idea to sell that property and use the proceeds to revitalize the more popular city parks. She was told no, the city wanted to hold on to the property. “Truly, God knew better. When we started looking at land for housing, I thought we’d never be able to put it in the City of Douglas because the cost of land was so high. I was looking in the county but no water and no sewer was a problem. Then a light went off and I drove straight to this property. I said, this is it,” she said.
“Lee already had something going in North Carolina with his good friend Chuck Jones. He came to me and said, ‘You want to go to North Carolina?’ I told him I thought the Lord was calling us to Douglas, Georgia. Lee said, ‘I’m in. I want to go’ . . . When we drove into Douglas, we found a town that lacked power but didn’t lack passion. I was inspired. I was motivated. Because I didn’t see defeat,” said Pastor Acosta.
There were other trips to Douglas. There were lots of moving parts to the relief effort to organize. One such trip involved that fateful meeting in November. Lee left Douglas excited about the work that was going to take place. He could already see the difference the various relief crews would make in this community.
About 20 minutes before the accident, at 1:27 p.m. on November 2, Lee sent Charlie the following text: “Good seeing you again. Feels like I got a new friend for life.” Just a few minutes later, Lee stepped into eternity.
His death was a devastating blow to The Hope Initiative. Instead of letting Lee’s sacrifice derail their work, team members used his passion and faithfulness inspire them to pour even more of themselves into Douglas and Coffee County. During the time they have been working in the community, they have made a tremendous difference in the lives of people who were shattered, broken, and hopeless in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
They are still making a difference today. And Lee Sims is right there with them.