Posted on 09/02/2005 2:00:26 AM PDT by dixie sass
Response to Hurricane Katrina largest ever for Southern Baptists
August 31, 2005
By Tim Yarbrough
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Response to Hurricane Katrina will be the largest ever for Southern Baptists with more than 1,000 volunteers and 100 mobile Disaster Relief units activated to hurricane and tornado ravaged regions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
By day’s end Wednesday, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers from as far away as New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia were serving in various capacities at more than 20 locations. Mobile kitchen teams were set to begin operations at many locations today. Southern Baptist volunteers also are manning two American Red Cross kitchens and two Salvation Army kitchens.
Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief has activated kitchens, cleanup and recovery operations to Carrolton, Ga., where 100 homes were damaged or destroyed resulting from hurricanes spawned from Katrina.
“We’ve worked for 35 years to build capacity to respond to something like this. It will be a major test,” said Jim Burton, director of volunteer mobilization at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) in Alpharetta, Ga. “This is day three of the disaster, which is typically the most difficult day. We are beginning to understand the extent of the damage and the logistical challenges that lie ahead.”
As Katrina approached the Louisiana and Mississippi coastline earlier in the week, the American Red Cross requested Southern Baptists ready enough volunteers and services to feed 300,000 people a day. Because devastation from the hurricane is so widespread, it has been difficult for response teams to get into effected areas.
“The roads and security are still a major issue,” said Mickey Caison, disaster operations center manager. “It is difficult to get water and other supplies in. That continues to be a problem.”
“We had one unit assigned yesterday to New Orleans, but it was stopped by the Mississippi State Patrol and has since been re-assigned to Baton Rouge,” said Burton.
Burton said if all goes well Southern Baptist volunteers should be serving 300,000 meals by the weekend.
Hurricane Katrina is one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the United States. Damage estimates already exceed $25 billion, according to published reports.
Following is the latest information about where Southern Baptist Disaster Relief units have been activated in Louisiana and Mississippi:
Louisana – Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, Bogalusa, Covington, Hammond, Prairieville and Kenner.
Mississippi – Biloxi, Pascagoula, Hattiesburg, McComb, Meridian, Clinton, Laurel, Lucedale, Gautior and Hattiesburg.
Other units are located in Mobile, Ala., and Carrolton, Ga.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief has more than 600 mobile disaster response units and 30,000 trained volunteers. State Baptist conventions recruit and train volunteers from Southern Baptist churches. NAMB coordinates multi-state and international responses by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.
Contributions to offset direct costs of the disaster relief response may be sent to state conventions, associations or churches responding to the effort, or to the North American Mission Board. NAMB contributions may be made online at www.namb.net/dr or mailed to the North American Mission Board, Box 116543, Atlanta, Ga., 30368-6543.
For regular updates on Southern Baptist Disaster Relief efforts, visit www.namb.net/dr.
Dear Lord, please keep these folks under Your protection as they try to help.
Yes!
They always come through.
There are trucks getting ready to leave Buffalo loaded with water, formula, diapers, donated clothing etc....
They head out as they are filled, the outpouring of donations is incredible.
My wife packed a bunch of clothing yesterday.
ping
AMEN. While many politicians and media elites waste time analyzing and blaming, church groups are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. http://www.disasterreliefeffort.org/ and http://www.wfrchurch.org have also sprung into action.
I got this email from my pastor from Donna Avant yesterday.
Donna is Wife of John Avant Presidnet of NAMB
PRAY
________________________________________________
Dear Friends and Family:
I know many of you are already deep in prayer about the situation in the
Gulf Coast. Many of you may not know that the third largest responding
agency to disasters is The North American Mission Board. Already many teams
from all over the nation have been dispatched---they have been asked to
provide 300,000 meals to rescue workers, ect....Later they will be sending
building crews---these are made up of lay leaders from Southern Baptist
churches all over our state and nation.
Several of the convoys that have left their states (including Georgia) have
been robbed and been unable to deliver much needed supplies.
Also, I just received word from John that two of our workers have been shot.
Please take a moment to lift these two workers up to the Father and pray for
our nation and this area
Please take time together tonight as a family to intercede for pastors who
have lost their homes and churches, for relief workers and the whole
situation.
Please pray for The North American Mission Board---for wisdom.
Thanks and love,
donna avant
Over here
This is not a ping list but if we need one for SBC issues I can start one.
Practically every Baptist church from Dallas to San Antonio is taking in refugees. Many families are "adopting" families into their own homes. God will bless such compassion for the needy.
Amen to that!
One local firefighter wanted to get a truckload of supplies to send for relief and got 6!!
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=43508
My church is collecting donations but not clothing. I've got good clothing to donate. Anyone know who accepts clothing?
We are taking in Fourty in ours in Seguin I know that First in Columbus took in 100.
This is bigger than we could ever imagine.
Does NAMB have send out email newsletters? If so I'm going to have to sign up on it.
My pastor is a trustee so he gets updates I'm sure you can check at http://www.namb.net/ though.
Excellent! Thank you so much for pinging me! I greatly appreciate it.
This is the last newsletter I got:
Dear Partner in Ministry,
We have all watched with dismay the horrific images of the growing tragedy in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. Some who fled Hurricane Katrina are returning to find their homes destroyed. Others can only wonder whether they have anything left.
When the bottom falls out, Southern Baptists stand up. At this moment, more than one thousand trained, compassionate volunteers from across our Southern Baptist family are mobilizing for a mission of mercy. They are preparing to provide hot meals, remove fallen trees, offer hot showers, clear mud from homes — and give comfort in the name of Jesus Christ.
The American Red Cross has asked our Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams to immediately get ready to serve up to 300,000 meals per day to hurricane victims. More than 100 mobile disaster relief units from 25 state conventions are in place or on the way to the devasted areas.
You can follow the progress of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief efforts at www.namb.net/dr. In the left column of this e-mail is a downloadable video with more information on how to support our disaster relief volunteers.
Gifts can be sent to state conventions, associations or churches participating in this effort, or to the North American Mission Board — online at www.namb.net/disasterrelief, by phone at
1 888 571-5895, or by mail to P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Every dollar will go to disaster recovery ministry.
Thank you for your prayers and support for our front-line volunteers who are ministering in Christ's name.
Yours on mission together,
Robert E. Reccord
President
North American Mission Board
Every radio talk show host needs to put on their pep talk coaching garb on. Block out any negative talk or communication with all anti-American, nay sayer(anarchy types) regarding this disaster Relief effort.
"PSYCH UP" your listeners/Disaster Relief activists now! Cheer them on!
bttt for my aunt & uncle who are relief workers for the Southern Baptist.
Thanks! I just signed up http://www.namb.net/
Our church (Roman Catholic) is sending all donations to Catholic Charities USA through Catholic Relief Services.
However, it seems obvious that the Southern Baptists 1) have the best and most resources already in place and 2) know how best to use them quickly and effectively. Many prayers their way for success.
As a personal opinion, I'll be sending all my donations to the Salvation Army, the NAMB and/or Catholic Charities USA, or any other faith-based organization that can get resources and people where they're needed.
For the rest of us who live far away and can only send money, send prayers also:
1. For the victims and their families.
2. For the church and relief workers, that they be able to get where they're needed and complete their jobs safely.
God Bless NAMB and all their people.
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