Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) has joined the response to flooding across the Midwest. Beginning this month, teams are traveling to affected areas to assist with flood recovery, prepare food for volunteer teams, and staff shower and laundry units. Illinois volunteers will also serve as assessors and chaplains.
Flood recovery efforts in Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Kansas, and Missouri are expected to take “a lot of people” and “a long time,” said Southern Baptist Disaster Relief national director Sam Porter.
IBDR leaders are currently mobilizing a team of assessors and chaplains to serve in Iowa April 14-20, and mass feeding volunteers to serve in Nebraska April 19-27. For more information, go to IBSA.org/DR.
In early April, Illinois volunteers returned to Taylorville to help with ongoing clean-up after an EF-3 tornado last December.
Storms across central Illinois on Dec. 1, 2018, spawned a record number of tornadoes, affecting several communities, including the city of Taylorville. Disaster Relief teams mobilized to Taylorville soon afterward, with assessors working to evaluate needs and chainsaw teams removing limbs felled by the storm.
However, there are many more trees in the area that still need to come down. “Most homeowners can’t afford to take these trees in their yard down,” said Butch Porter, state director for IBDR. “We’re here to help them with that.”
One homeowner, Mary, expressed gratitude for the volunteer team’s efforts. “I had just moved here in October before the tornado hit,” she said. The retired attorney from Chicago had moved to be closer to her sister. “I think what they are doing is just so kind.”