July 22, 2002

Disaster relief work stretched thin as floodwaters spread
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___For the first time since Texas Baptists established a statewide network of regional disaster relief ministries, every disaster relief unit in the state has been called into service at the same time, responding to floods that reach from Abilene to Victoria.
___That means Texas Baptist disaster relief desperately needs support in terms of prayer, volunteers and donations, according to E.B. Brooks, coordinator of the church missions and evangelism section at the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and Leo Smith, president of Texas Baptist Men.
___The 18-wheel Texas Baptist Men disaster relief mobile unit and the command post are stationed in San Antonio. Regional units are located in Uvalde, Sattler, Corpus Christi, New Braunfels, Kerrville, Victoria, Mathis, Brownwood and Abilene. The child-care unit is set up in Abilene. "Mud-out" cleaning crews and child-care workers are receiving on-the-job training by Texas Baptist Men in South Central Texas.
___As the floods that hit the Central Texas Hill Country drain southeastward toward the Gulf of Mexico, the scope of the disaster has reached unprecedented proportions.
___"To put it in perspective, the land mass impacted by the floods is equal in size to the state of Oklahoma," said John Bullock, a staff member with Texas Baptist Men.
___The scope of the flood has created a strain on available resources--both human and financial, according to leaders of BGCT disaster relief ministries.
___In a July 8 letter to pastors and directors of missions, Texas Baptist Men President Leo Smith wrote: "Disaster relief funding comes primarily from donations, not from budgeted monies. Because of the extraordinary situations already this year, our funds are depleted."
___Texas Baptists provided as much disaster relief in the first six months of this year as in all of last year, which included massive flooding in Houston after Tropical Storm Allison.
___"Would you share with your people the urgent needs ... of monetary donations, to be sure, but also men and women to be trained to respond to crisis situations?" Smith asked.
___He pointed to the need for volunteers in food service, temporary emergency child care, chain-saw crews and mud-out and cleaning crews. Immediate training is available for men and women willing to serve as volunteers in these areas.
___"The opportunities to meet physical needs are overwhelming. But the most rewarding part of the job is to be able to minister to spiritual needs at a time when hurting people need a comforting word from the Lord. What a joy it is for our volunteers to be able to assure them of God's love," Smith stated.

___Designated contributions should be sent to "Disaster Relief," 333 N. Washington, Dallas 75246-1798. All funds will be used directly for Texas Baptist disaster relief ministries. Prospective volunteers should call the disaster operations center at (214) 381-2800.

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