S. Baptist Disaster Relief

email | August 16, 2004 | SBC NAMB

[2Jedismom]

Disaster Relief Update
August 16, 2004

Disaster Relief Update

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God? (2 Cor. 1:3-4, NIV).

Hurricane

Seventy-one disaster relief units/teams have been activated from 11 state Baptist conventions (Fla., Ga., N.C., S.C., Tenn., Ala., Miss., La., VBMB, SBCV, Tex.) and NAMB as of 2 p.m. Monday, August 16, with more to come as additional sites and needs are identified.

Southern Baptist disaster relief units are based in eight locations: North Port, Fort Meyers, Arcadia, Wauchula, Lake Wales, Poinciana, Orlando, and S. Daytona. Thirteen feeding units/teams, 35 recovery units, 5 communication/command units,15 shower units, two laundry units, and one generator are either en route, setting up, or operational at this point.

The following states remain on standby: Kentucky, Maryland/Delaware, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania/South Jersey, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief is involved in damage assessment to identify areas where ministry will be provided.

Southern Baptist Donations

Please make checks payable to NAMB and mail to: NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. To make a donation on line using a credit card, go to http://www.namb.net/dr and click on Disaster Fund on the right.

From Florida State Government Web Site

Donate and Serve Wisely to Hurricane Charley Victims As response and recovery efforts begin, Volunteer Florida is working closely with the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Relief (NVOAD), and the Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (FLVOAD). You are encouraged to contribute wisely towards recovery efforts. Consider the following before you donate goods, money, or your time:

Financial contributions are preferred.
Cash donations help to avoid the labor and expense of sorting, packing, transporting, and distributing donated goods. Voluntary relief agencies can use cash to meet victims specific needs more quickly.

Confirm the need before collecting.
A community hit by disaster does not have the time, manpower, or money to dispose of unneeded donations. Get precise information before collecting any donated goods.

Volunteer wisely to help others.
In a community struggling to respond to and recover from a disaster, an influx of unexpected or unneeded volunteers and material donations can make the process more difficult. Learn where and when your skills will be needed before traveling to a disaster area.

Southern Baptist Volunteers

Disaster relief volunteers are activated by the North American Mission Board through state Baptist conventions. State Baptist conventions have more than 28,500 trained volunteers. If you have not previously been trained through your state Baptist convention, there will likely not be an assignment for you. To connect with Southern Baptist disaster relief ministry, please contact your state Baptist convention for training dates. To view and express interest in ministry opportunities that are available throughout North America on an ongoing basis, please register at http://thebridge.namb.net . A variety of construction and non-construction projects are available in a multitude of settings.

Leadership

Fritz Wilson is serving as the Incident Commander of the operation. Terry Henderson, national disaster relief director, thenderson@namb.net, is assisting Florida Baptist Disaster Relief leadership. Mickey Caison is managing the Disaster Operations Center at the North American Mission Board. Choice and Grace Watson are serving as offsite coordinators in the Disaster Operations Center. Fred and Rose Kinsey are assigned to the American Red Cross Disaster Operation Center in Washington, D.C.

The Disaster Operation Center at NAMB is open. Please call 800-462-8657, ext. 6133, for information or assistance. Activated units are reminded to check in every four hours during travel.

[2Jedismom]

I signed up through my church to be part of the Oklahoma Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team. I haven't received my training yet so there's no way I'd be going to Florida, and Oklahoma isn't being called up anyway.

Still, I thought this email had some good information in it, and wanted to share it.

[2Jedismom]

Ping.

[CindyDawg]

Someone suggested donating here or to the SA to me the other day. This looks good but I also would really like to be trained to do this. At one time I was going to volunteer with the RC but changed my mind.

[CajunConservative]

Thanks for posting this. I will be donating some money to them because the money goes to the relief and I know they do a great job. I was out of town yesterday and was not able to go to church but on several of the other threads people were asking about where to give besides the RC. I have been telling them to donate to the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.

[2Jedismom]

Thank you!

The Southern Baptist Convention
Disaster Relief Team

[SuziQ]

Thanks for posting that info, 2J. What a blessing those teams are going to be for the people in the devastated regions in FL.

[2Jedismom]

Got an updated email saying MO S. Baptist disaster relief teams have joined the others in Florida. That makes 12 state Baptist conventions.

[Magnolia]

Great info...thanks! I remember that many, many people from all over the country helped after the Moore tornado. This is a great option over donating to the RC.

[2Jedismom]

Yep. I can't go...haven't had my training yet. But I can at least get this news out!

[Magnolia]

Just discovered something when I made my donation...you can make it in memory of or on behalf of someone. My MIL was from one of the hardest hit areas in FL so I was thrilled to make it in her memory.