BY MIKE FUHRMAN

Jeff and Natalie Storment vividly remember the first Power Cross miracle.

Two years after starting their sports ministry, they had burned through their savings in an effort to keep the nonprofit afloat. They had $33 in the bank and weren’t sure how they were going to feed the large group of kids who seemed to wind up at their home for dinner every night.

Jeff was on the verge of taking out a title loan on his SUV, and Natalie was rightfully questioning the path they had chosen.

“We could not have bought hot dogs for the 30 to 40 kids we were feeding,” Jeff said, remembering that day in 2008. “She said, ‘You’ve lost your mind. We’re going broke. We are broke.’ “

That afternoon the Storments prayed in the backyard, seeking guidance and maybe even a little divine intervention.

The next morning they received a check in the mail for $3,500 from a man in Maynardsville, Tenn., a man they did not know. Somehow the envelope containing the check, mailed first class by Steve Jones, traveled from Maynardsville to Knoxville to Greensboro to Statesville in less than 20 hours.

“Nobody believes it,” Jeff said. “It was a miracle.”

When Jeff called Jones on the phone and told him they had received the check, which would allow Power Cross to keep operating, the successful residential developer started crying.

“Yesterday at 4 p.m., God told me to write that check,“ Jones told him.

Fast forward 16 years: Power Cross has expanded to two campuses, serving more than 200 kids in Statesville and Salisbury, and Jones has become a regular benefactor and board member.

Today, dozens of alumni have finished high school, and many have earned college degrees and have good-paying jobs.

Power Cross has assets valued at $8 million, and the Storments have largely turned day-to-day operations over to their staff while they focus on fundraising and succession planning.

“We’ve had some obstacles to overcome, but God has blessed us financially,” Jeff said.

A New Chapter: Power Cross Cafe

Their latest venture is Power Cross Café, which opened in May at 207 S. Oakland Avenue in Statesville.

While they never intended to get into the restaurant business, the opportunity to acquire the former Pat’s Place – largely to expand parking for their nearby football complex – was too good to pass up.

The staff has stayed on, and the profits will be used to support Power Cross.

“We’re not looking to make a huge profit,” Natalie said, “but it has to be an asset to the ministry.”

They’ve freshened up the interior and kept the menu intact. Breakfast offerings include made-to-order omelets, waffles and pancakes, biscuits and gravy and livermush. The lunch menu includes country style steak, burgers, hot dogs and daily specials. Natalie’s homemade desserts are also proving to be a hit with customers; don’t be surprised if the cobbler is gone if you show up late for lunch.

The restaurant, which is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., has provided an opportunity for the Storments to interact with long-time donors, many of whom send $50 or $100 a year to support the ministry.

“That’s been really cool to be able to shake their hands and say thank you,” Jeff said.

‘There’s hope’

Eighteen years after founding Power Cross in their home, the Storments remain focused on providing religious instruction and regular meals – and baseball, basketball, football, and wrestling coaching — to boys and young men who desperately need it.

While they have many success stories to celebrate – from alumni getting married and raising kids to landing six-figure salaries, there have also been dark days.

The Salisbury campus suffered significant damage in a fire, and the City of Salisbury has made it difficult to rebuild.

And six former Power Cross members have been murdered – including three who were executed – since 2020.

“We raised those kids,” Jeff said. “They were with us probably as much as their families.”

Those devastating losses have strengthened their resolve to reach – and save – as many kids as they can through Bible study, afterschool tutoring and mentoring. And the Storments believe there is reason to be hopeful.

“There’s always hope,” Jeff said. “There’s hope in Christ.”