When viewing the damage caused by Hurricane Charley, our consciences ask, “What
can I do to help those poor folks?”
When viewing the damage caused by Hurricane Charley, our consciences ask, “What
can I do to help those poor folks?”
One of the magnificent aspects of being a Louisiana Baptist and a Southern
Baptist is, you are already in the process of doing something and you can do
more.
State Baptist conventions, such as the Louisiana Baptist Convention, have disaster
relief teams, and those teams are moving toward Florida to help, or they are
already there helping.
Thanks to a team of trained volunteers, and the funds you have provided through
the Cooperative Program, some Louisiana Baptist Convention Disaster Relief Teams
are already in Florida, working in the heart of the severe damage, and others
will leave within hours.
Thanks to financial planning and volunteer readiness, our relief teams were
able to move immediately. They did not have to wait to organize or find the
funds to make the trip.
They will be taking a 16-foot and a 29-foot self-contained meals preparation
and feeding units built and equipped to prepare thousands of meal a day. They
had the food in storage, ready to move upon brief notice. These were made possible
by Cooperative Program and special relief funds.
They will be working with the Red Cross and other disaster relief workers,
doing whatever the directors say most needs to be done. They will be staying
in a Baptist church building.
If these teams had to wait until they could organize for such a major effort,
or until funds were raised, they would likely be weeks arriving at the scene
of need. But because Baptists have a tremendous way of supporting this ministry
– the Cooperative Program and direct contributions to hunger and relief
– they were able to move immediately.
On the national scene, the North American Mission Board, from gifts Southern
Baptists have given to the Hunger and Relief Fund, were immediately able to
provide significant help to those in greatest need because of the natural disaster.
That help will continue as long as there is need.
In the weeks ahead, Southern Baptists from all over the country will be in
Florida, clearing trees, repairing houses and churches, caring for the physical
needs of people and ministering to them spiritually.
This certainly does not mean that Baptist relief efforts have all the funds
they need. In the days and weeks ahead, the need will grow greater than can
be met by existing funds.
There is a way you can help.
Send funds to: Disaster Relief, c/o Loy Seal, Louisiana Baptist Convention,
P.O. Box 311, Alexandria, LA 71309.
Because of security requirements, new volunteers will not be able to work on
the LBC relief crews this time, but Loy Seal urges the organizing of local church
and association relief teams – especially chain saw teams for future relief
work.
From giving some money to giving much money, from supporting those who serve
as relief workers to becoming a relief worker, Louisiana Baptists and Southern
Baptists, provide a way to help.
Individually and together, there is an answer to “What can I do?”