Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) chainsaw and flood recovery teams have been called to serve in the Venice, Fla. area, about an hour south of Tampa. The total response effort to victims of Hurricane Ian is anticipated to be lengthy, according to IBSA Missions Director Shannon Ford.
IBDR volunteers will be working on assignments in partnership with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (MODR) volunteers. MODR incident command volunteers were staged in Birmingham, Ala. prior to the storm and began assessments over the weekend.
Hurricane Ian tore through southwest Florida last week with 150-mph winds, a strong surge, and heavy rain. In the town of Venice, the rain also caused the Myakka River to overflow its banks adding to the already severe flooding. The death toll from Ivan has surpassed 100.
One IBDR semi-trailer left Illinois Oct. 2 and stopped at the Missouri Baptist Convention in Jefferson City where it picked up several pallets of food before being driven to Venice to help with the relief efforts. A feeding team from Illinois is expected to depart on October 15.
“Please pray for the people impacted by the hurricane as well as all those who will be responding,” Ford requested. He also thanked those who have been praying and the volunteers as they prepared to deploy.
IBDR has over 950 trained volunteers who serve as part of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, the third largest relief ministry in the United States. IBDR responds to natural disasters by providing chainsaw teams, shower trailers, mobile kitchens, childcare teams, and chaplains. In the case of flooding, volunteers in their signature yellow shirts help homeowners with “mud out,” out clearing flood properties of debris and contaminated building materials, so they can begin rebuilding and recovery.
If you are an Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer, please note, you must have a current badge to participate in a callout. Check your badge or call the IBDR office at (217) 391-3126 to verify your status.
To help send volunteers to the field and minister to victims, donate to Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief.
IBDR’s next volunteer training opportunity is October 21-22 at Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp in Pinckneyville, IL. Go here to learn more.
Related:
Hurricane Ian recovery ramps up as Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Send Relief assist