Florida Baptist Disaster Relief ongoing in Gulf region

Sep 26, 2005

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LAKE CHARLES, La. - Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers Neal Hayes, left, Gainesville, Fla., and Sarah Jo Lorenz, Ocala, haul meals prepared by a Florida Baptist mobile feeding unit. Hayes, a member of Westside Baptist Church Gainesville, and Lorenz, a member of First Baptist Church Ocala, are two of more than 6,000 Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers assisting Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita with services that include mass feeding, cleanup and recovery, shower trailers, child care, laundry, and communication. NAMB photo by John Swain

LAKE CHARLES, La. (FBC)–Since Sept. 25, Florida Baptist disaster relief feeding volunteers have prepared and served 80,000 hot meals to victims in Hurricane Rita-battered Lake Charles, La.

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Another 22,000 meals were prepared Sept. 30, reported Fritz Wilson, director of the Florida Baptist Convention Men’s Department who oversees the feeding operations.

Florida Baptists’ two mobile mass feeding kitchens are stationed at “Wilshire Plaza” a strip center located across the street from Shiloh Baptist Church. The combined units can prepare as many as 35,000 meals a day. The first group of 55 volunteers who responded immediately after the storm have returned to Florida after being relieved by another 45 volunteers. To date more than 85 Florida Baptists have responded.

In this relief effort, Florida Baptists are partnering with the Salvation Army as its 23 canteens transport food into neighborhoods as far as 40 miles from the feeding site.

Florida Baptist clean-up, recovery and chainsaw crews were deployed Sept. 30 and completed 30 jobs within days of their arrival. They are stationed at First Baptist Church in Lake Charles.

Wilson said the destruction in the area is similar to the damage in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte after Hurricane Charley struck southwest Florida in August, 2004. Many area residents have not yet been allowed back into their neighborhoods, he added.

The team moved into position Sept. 22 from Hattiesburg, Miss., where the units had been stationed since Aug. 30 to minister after Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers prepared 148,798 meals and completed 1,253 home recovery jobs during their month-long response. Wilson reported all operations in Hattiesburg had been suspended and moved to Lake Charles.

Bob Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board, SBC arrived at the Florida Baptist feeding unit on Sept. 25, and from that location conducted interviews for ABC’s Good Morning America and National Public Radio. Camera crews from CNBC set up across the street on Sept. 26 and featured the Florida Baptist feeding unit.

Florida Baptists are working in conjunction with 39 state Baptist conventions in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. Southern Baptists are working on feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, child care, shower, laundry, command, and communication units in the following locations:

Louisiana — Kinder, DeRidder, Leesville, Lake Charles, Houma, Sulpher, Vinton; Texas — Vidor, Kountze, Kirbyville, Orange, Woodville, Anahuac, Longview, Newton, Livingston, Mauriceville, Jasper, San Antonio, Center, Lufkin, Beaumont, Wichita Falls, Canton, Corigan, Nacogdoches, Port Arthur.

Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Southern Baptists have served 4.9 million hot meals and repaired 6,700 homes in the region.

Financial contributions to hurricane relief efforts may be sent to the Florida Baptist Convention, Business Services, P.O. Box 5579, Jacksonville, FL 32247.

Checks should be made payable to the Florida Baptist Convention. Separate accounts have been established. Please designate on your check either Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita relief.

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2005 Hurricane

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