Posted: 6/11/04
Texas Baptist Men offer clean-up
service and meals to flood victims
By Mary Crouch
Texas Baptist Communications
WHITE SETTLEMENT–Texas Baptist Men dispatched three disaster relief units to help victims of flood-ravaged north Fort Worth.
The North Texas counties of Tarrant, Denton, Hood, Wise and Jack received the worst of the rainstorms.
Heavy rains fell during four consecutive days, causing the Clear Fork of the Trinity River to swell and flood the surrounding counties.
| Texas Baptists can support disaster relief ministries by sending checks designated "disaster relief" to Texas Baptist Men, 333 N. Washington, Dallas, 75246-1798 |
TBM sent child care and cleanup units to White Settlement and an emergency food service unit to Weatherford.
The child care unit went unused because the community seemed to want to provide support for its own families, said Keith Mack of TBM.
White Settlement residents gave TBM a warm reception but felt more comfortable working within their own resources, he said, adding: “They wanted to do it on their own.”
The Collin County cleanup team, led by Bobby Bowlen, expected to finish their job in White Settlement by June 12 and then move to Parker County to work with a Salvation Army unit.
The mud-out unit had finished cleaning two homes by June 10 and was expected to clean out at least one more before moving, Bowlen noted.
Captain Mike Morton of the Salvation Army's Parker County unit praised the work done by Texas Baptist Men. “Those guys have just been tremendous,” he said, referring to the Collin County cleanup crew.
The Tarrant Baptist Association feeding unit served at Weatherford College. On the evening of June 9, volunteers fed only 17, but they expected to serve about 50 the next day.
Aubrey Mathis, leader of the Weatherford unit, said his crew planned to serve mostly disaster relief workers on June 10 before moving on to the Parker County Service Center in Weatherford.
TBM ministry to flood victims came just a few days after another volunteer team helped clear damage caused by a tornado.
The Dogwood Trails Baptist Men chainsaw unit worked in Lillian, south of Fort Worth, after a tornado touched down in the community.
The twister ripped a trailer in half, flipped a home upside-down and ripped up trees, said Mike Smith, director of missions for Dogwood Trails Baptist Area, who coordinated the effort.
He said seven men chopped up trees and dragged them off, where other workers shredded them up and removed the debris.
The work allowed Smith to reach out to victims affected by the tornado.
“We ended up getting to witness to some people and give out some Bibles,” he said.
John Hall of Texas Baptist Communications contributed to this report.
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