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What is Disaster Response? Why do you need to get involved?
Well,
just how do we define a disaster? A disaster is anything that causes human
suffering or creates human needs that the victims cannot alleviate themselves.
More than
likely, you or someone you know has ever been in that position? Disasters don’t
all come in large packages like hurricanes or tornadoes. Oftentimes a disaster
can be the elderly neighbor next door that has a yard full of limbs that they
are unable to clean up without help.
Whether
it is a major disaster that affects hundreds of people or one that only affects
your neighbor, the response is the same, “a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name.”
It’s through these efforts that we should apply ourselves to serve others.
MISSION
STATEMENT FOR DISASTER RELIEF
To
provide physical, emotional, and spiritual help to victims of natural and
man-made disasters,
including floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and terrorist
attacks, in North America and overseas
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Our
primary goal is to provide assistance to anyone that is in distress because
of a disaster.
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At
every opportunity we must insure that the gospel is made known to each
person that we have contact with
Southern
Baptist Associations have a rich history and heritage of providing churches the
opportunity to work together to accomplish more than they could accomplish
individually.
Churches
within a local Association also have the ability to assist one another by
sharing resources and leadership. By working together they can accomplish tasks
too large for any one church. The churches in an Association can accomplish
Kingdom purposes by working together.
The
question is not whether a disaster will occur in your Association—it is a
question of when it will strike. Disasters don’t always occur on a
weekday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Southern
Baptist Disaster Relief is a partnership ministry of the state Baptist
convention and the North American Mission Board. Approximately 2,000 mobile
units (feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, child care, shower,
laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild, generators, and others) are
established as part of the disaster relief effort.
Disaster
Relief units are owned and staffed by Southern Baptist churches, regional
Baptist Associations, and the state Baptist convention. Volunteer teams respond
to disasters within their own state and work cooperatively with other states in
larger emergencies. Teams also work overseas when Baptist Global Response
requests help.
Come and
work with us to serve your neighbors and help share the Good News of Christ.
If you would like to know how to become part of a Disaster
Response Team and receive training so you can get involved, please click on
contact the
Louisiana Baptist Convention or
North
American Mission Board for more information. Or, simply contact
the BAGBR office at (225) 296-3943.
2008-2009 ANNUAL REPORT
Charles Watson, Director
The
ending of 2008 was a very busy time in the Baton Rouge area. Hurricane Gustav
hit the coast of Louisiana the first part of September, causing major damage in
Baton Rouge as well as thoughout the rest of the state. All across the
associational area, crews went to work feeding and housing people, cleaning up
debris and removing trees from houses. Several thousand hours were logged in
the cleanup effort alone, not counting the time spent tending to the personal
needs of people.
In
January an ice storm hit the central United States causing tree damage, loss of
power, and home damage. Several crews from BAGBR responded and worked in
Arkansas to assist the people that had been affected by the storm.
This
summer, a straight line wind storm hit Illinois causing some severe damage. One
crew from BAGBR was able to respond and help the people in that area.
One of
our crews was submitted for an ExxonMobil Responsible Care Award for the work
that they had done after Gustav. They were honored in the Emergency
Preparedness area of this ExxonMobil-wide award. |
