An Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief feeding team left Friday (Sept. 27) morning to rendezvous with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers at First Baptist Church of Charleston in southeast Missouri. There they will begin coordination and await news of their ministry destination. Upon arrival they will begin to serve Hurricane Helene survivors.
Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday evening on Florida’s gulf coast as Category 4 storm. At least 43 were reported dead in four states as of Friday afternoon. The storms damaging winds and heavy rain have caused power outages across much of the southeast.
Friday afternoon, Baptist Press reported Southern Baptist Disaster Relief will have a pair of feeding sites in Florida and two in Georgia in partnership with the Salvation Army. Prayer is requested for the survivors and the volunteers who will serve them.
All other IBDR teams are currently on standby for possible deployment once assessments can be made by Send Relief along with its national partners such as the Salvation Army as well as FEMA and the Red Cross. Much damage has been reported in Florida, Georgia, and in North Carolina with a large response expected.
IBDR has almost 500 trained volunteers who serve on chainsaw and flood recovery teams, with shower, laundry, and food service, and at every callout, as chaplains. IBDR is a partner with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, part of the SBC’s Send Relief compassion ministry. It is the third largest disaster relief organization, after the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
To donate to help Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief assist survivors of Hurricane Helene, visit IBSA.org/about/donate. Checks may be made payable to Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief and sent to IBSA, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, IL 62703.
For more information about Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief, visit IBSA.org/dr.
IBDR is a volunteer organization ministering with the Illinois Baptist State Association.