LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Baptists are responding to a call for help in Florida as Hurricane Matthew continues its destructive march up the East Coast.

About 50 highly-trained volunteers with Kentucky Baptist Convention Disaster Relief will work alongside other Southern Baptists organizations to meet feeding, cleanup and recovery needs.

Teams left early Sunday morning headed for a staging area about 60 miles west of Jacksonville, Fla.

Volunteers from Kentucky will be part of a wider relief effort that includes Southern Baptists from Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Florida Baptist Convention Disaster Relief is working with churches in Pensacola, Tallahassee and Lake City serving as host sites and expects feeding units to be partially operational by Oct. 10 and fully operational two days later.

Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief Director Coy Webb said teams, responding at the request of the Florida Baptist Convention, would serve in the region for three weeks or more depending on the need.