september 23, 2005
Creative Ways to Help the Hurricane Victims
Hurricane Rita churns toward Texas, and already there is rain falling in New Orleans. Television news is reporting that rainwater is spilling over the New Orleans levees, causing more flooding in the already inundated 9th ward of the city. The National Guard reports three significant levee breaches.
The 2005 hurricane season continues to wreak havoc in the Gulf of Mexico.
As the nation keeps its eye on the potential damage from Rita, tens of thousands of people in the Gulf Region are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. But thousands of other people have traveled to the area to bring help, hope and the gospel message.
And there are many creative ways that ministries and people are bringing aid to the victims of Katrina.
I received this note from my new friends in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi:
"Hey Craig. We have had people from Red Cross to come and spend nights at the church -- and volunteers are coming announced and unannounced. Today [Pastor] Al and I were sitting alone for a moment asking one another where we are going to sleep so many. The SBC disaster "white hat" had promised two tents to put on the grounds, but he can't get them. WHILE we were talking, a mom and son walked in the door and asked for the pastor. They had a 40' by 80' tent that they wanted to send to us -- that can even be air-conditioned. It will arrive on Tuesday. 'Ain't God good!'"
Another CBN.com reader writes that her 10-year-old grandson was given a drum and was learning to play. After hearing about the hurricane, he wanted to do something to help the victims of Katrina. He set his drum up on a corner with a sign for donations in his community and began to play. Other neighborhood children and cousins gathered as they held up signs and collected the money. Folks throughout the neighborhood came to give, some with only a dollar or even change -- but they all wanted to help. Together, the young boy and his friends collected more than $600!
The children gave the donations to their church, First Baptist in Naples, Florida. It was very rewarding to see so many in the neighborhood pitching in to help, no matter how little or how large the gift or the service.
The Father's House, an outreach of Christ Fellowship Church in Dawsonville, Geaorgia, organized more than 1,600 volunteers from churches, civic organizations, schools, and businesses help evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. Working in shifts around the clock, they took in more than 100 evacuees into a makeshift shelter. As a result of this community effort, every one of the hurricane victims from that shelter have been placed in homes, 85% have permanent jobs, and some have even been given cars.
As of Tuesday, September 20th, the "shelter" portion of this effort was closed after the final victim was placed in a home. They are prepared and committed to provide care for the evacuees for at least 2 months until they are all up on their feet with jobs and homes.
The American Bible Society has launched a campaign to rush Bibles to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Writing to supporters, ABS officials explain that, "At first it’s water, food, shelter . . . but very quickly it becomes much more. The sense of loss begins to overwhelm people, and they look for hope and a future. Their thoughts turn to God and the Bible. They want comfort that goes beyond the moment, but their Bibles were lost in the storm."
The American Bible Society wants to send thousands of Bibles to replace ones swept away in the storm.
And Operation Blessing continues to provide aid in various forms to the victims of the storm -- help is coming in the form of food, water, medical supplies, tarps for damaged roofs, feeding stations in the hardest hit areas, and much more. OB personnel are on the ground and poised to respond to needs as they arrive -- both from the victims of Katrina -- and in anticipation of Hurricane Rita.
How You Can Help
You can take part in Operation Blessing's ongoing disaster response efforts by making an online donation to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
For information on Project Church Welcome, click here or call 1-800-700-Club (2582).
Give to help the Victims of Hurricane Katrina through Operation Blessing
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