LOUISVILLE–Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief has served over 78,000 meals in their time responding to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Over 215 Kentucky Baptist volunteers have been deployed or are currently laboring in these areas.
Volunteers are working in Lumberton, Galveston, Houston, Kountze, and Crestwood Texas as well as in Key West and Miami, Florida. Over 150 flood clean up jobs have been completed. Ky. DR volunteers have finished nearly 75 loads of laundry and distributed 2,640 bottles of water.
In addition, 252 Bibles, 195 gospel tracts, and 17 teddy bears have been distributed as well as 396 chaplain visits made and the gospel was presented nearly 125 times. These appointments have resulted in 15 decisions for Christ.
“Many long hours were put in by all there,” Bobby Hicks, a volunteer who spent nine days at the Houston George R. Brown Convention Center, said in a Facebook post. “Only by God’s will and strength He provided were we all able to hold up to it all.”
Hicks added, “All this was a true blessing for me and such a feeling of satisfaction to know we were all helping so many needy people, and being the hands and feet of Jesus. Our continued prayers for so many who in the hurricane’s paths that have been displaced and lost so much.”
A disaster relief laundry unit is currently deployed in Florida, serving those hardest hit by Irma.
Although serving as needed in Florida, currently with the laundry unit, Coy Webb, Kentucky Baptist Convention disaster relief director, shared in a Kentucky Today column, “We have made a commitment to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey and we intend to honor that promise as our certified volunteers try to bring help, hope and healing to all we encounter.”
Webb encourages anyone wanting to get involved to attend a Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief training event.
Webb added, “The hurricanes have caused tremendous destruction over the last few weeks, but we give thanks to God for Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers who have responded and continue to respond as the hands and feet of Christ.”
“They are bringing help, healing, and hope to countless hurting people in these devastated areas,” he said. (WR)