BUSINESS MATTERS

Karin Hopkins

This active and devastating hurricane season has already made life miserable for millions of people. As we pray for better days for those affected, let’s applaud the heroes who are working to assist however they can, wherever they are sent. Lisa Pierce is among those heroes. Well-known in Tuskegee and Macon County as the founder and leader of Alabama Rural Ministry (ARM), Lisa wears many hats. She is a minister who practices what she preaches. She is also a Lieutenant Colonel with the Alabama National Guard with 27 years of service. Lisa was recently deployed in response to Hurricane Harvey but Texas was not her destination. Instead, she is in the background in Anniston, Alabama making sure that responders get what they need to function effectively. She says, “We make sure they have all the necessary supplies—food, water, shelter. But it’s at the larger wholesale level, like bulk fuel. We coordinate tankers of fuel. We organize a lot of logistical efforts in conjunction with entities that are doing the work on the ground.”  We spoke with Lisa the day before she reported for duty. Her next tasks involved organizing and planning for ARM to make sure nothing fell through the cracks while she was away. At the time she left on September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma was churning in the Atlantic and Lisa knew that her team’s work would likely be expanded to address logistics for emergency responders in Florida.  We often see Lisa in Tuskegee but more often we see her handprint on service ministries. The Sonshine Day Camp program provides enrichment classes to low-income children in this community during the summer. Elderly and low-income residents throughout Macon County have benefited from the ARM home repair program. To accomplish the Christ-centered work, which is the backbone of ARM, Lisa works with a committed board of directors, a small staff and an army of volunteers. ARM is a ministry that God laid on her heart around the time that she finished college. Fortunately, God also equipped her with a sharp mind along with strong organizational, communications and administrative skills. This has allowed ARM to thrive for 20 years. And these same qualities work well for Lisa in her job with the Alabama National Guard. Since Lisa is away doing her part for response, rescue and relief efforts, we can do something for the organization that is so dear to her. ARM has activated its annual fundraising campaigns. If you have a computer or smart phone, you can give online through the “Donate Now” button on the ARM Facebook page or through the website http://www.arm-al.org/. In a future article, we will delve deeper into the ARM fundraisers, explaining the mission and goals. So, we end with one final note about Lisa. In addition to everything else she is doing, she is also a member of the Chamber, who is actively engaged in this community’s BUSINESS MATTERS.

Karin Hopkins is executive director of the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce and also co-founder of ECHOboom, a digital media platform. Contact her at ourchamberworks@gmail.com.