How to Help Those Affected by Hurricane Helene
The elders have been getting questions about how we can serve those who have been affected by the hurricane. When you see the pictures and hear the stories, it breaks your heart and makes you want to help. That desire is good. The problem is that people donate some money in the moment and move on. But the real work is likely to go on for years- not just in the immediacy as the media concentrates on the current damage. And the good people in the Appalachian Mountains are going to need your help later just as much (if not more) than what you see today.
Here is how you can help now. Several of our larger sister churches are collecting supplies for the victims of the storm. They need everything from water to clothing to diapers.
Samaritan’s Purse is on the ground right now helping those in need. You can donate on their website and look for volunteer trips in which you can participate (Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Relief — International Relief (samaritanspurse.org))
Thinking about the long term, our sister church, Gracious Savior, will be organizing disaster relief teams with the Alabama Baptists. Brian Milby will be in touch with us when they are ready to let us in. The news we are getting is at least two weeks from now as the infrastructure is so bad. We will let you know when this opportunity is available.
Another way you can help is to support the church’s budget. We do have a disaster relief line item. That money is used to pay for housing and transportation for our relief teams. You can also begin saving money for these future trips. Because supply chains are broken, these teams have to carry construction materials with them. You can help with the funding when they need it later.
In a month’s time, many people will forget about the hurricane, especially with the elections upon us. But we will not forget. We are already calendaring potential trips as late as next summer. Joel wants to take the youth to help. Perhaps you might consider taking some vacation time to help them.
But the number one need is prayer. The world laughs at us when we say we are praying. They view that as in activity. But we know differently. Prayer aligns our hearts with our brothers and sisters who are suffering. Prayer changes us to have compassion to give more and to serve more. And we know the great God of the universe hears our prayers and He responds.
7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ex 3:7–10). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
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