Texas Baptist Men teams race to work between Florida storms_92004

Posted: 9/10/04

Texas Baptist Men teams race
to work between Florida storms

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

MOBILE, Ala.—After days of waiting on Hurricane Frances to move through Florida, Texas Baptist disaster relief volunteers and their Southern Baptist counterparts from other states raced to meet needs in the storm-ravaged state.

Chainsaw, clean-up, building and feeding units stationed for several days in Mobile, Ala., received the green light by the Southern Baptist Convention North American Mission Board Sept. 7. About 75 people who were in Mobile are coordinated by Texas Baptist Men.

Volunteers left Mobile early Sept. 8. Teams included the TBM East Texas and Top of Texas feeding units, an Oklahoma chainsaw crew and a trailer of meals. Texas chainsaw units from Collin Baptist Association, Sabine Neches Baptist Area and Amarillo Baptist Association also left Mobile.

The Top of Texas unit was traveling to First Baptist Church in Bronson, Fla. The rest of the teams, including the group of retiree builders, were to be based at First Baptist Church in Lake Wales.

Relief help is needed in Florida. More than 74,000 people live in shelters. Estimates indicate the storm may have caused $10 billion of damage. Six million people have no electricity.

Frances was the second hurricane to hit Florida in less than a month. The more intense Hurricane Charley slammed the state several weeks ago. And residents were watching Hurricane Ivan as it moved west in the Atlantic Ocean.

The volunteers activated out of Mobile was the second Southern Baptist deployment in as many days. Several units moved to Florida from Savannah, Ga., Sept. 6. The mission board has stationed teams in at least 19 locations, said Jim Burton, director of volunteer mobilization. He expects further action as needs are discovered.

“The operation has gone well,” he said. “We have been pleased with the response of the states.”

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-directed disaster units entered Florida Sept. 7.

The Southern Baptist mobilization command was welcome news to disaster relief volunteers, some of whom had been camping at Government Street Baptist Church since Sept. 4.

A sense of relief flowed over the volunteers as news spread of the activation.

“It’ll get exciting now as everyone will be relieved to know where they are going,” said TBM President Kevin Walker, who was in Mobile.

Several workers indicated they are happy to see an end to days of waiting. Though the volunteers cleaned their equipment, fueled vehicles and underwent further training, they clearly were ready to move into Florida.

“We’re thankful,” said Joe Detterman, who coordinated the Collin chainsaw unit. “It’s very difficult to wait.”

Some Southern Baptist disaster relief teams remain on hold or on standby. Several Texas Baptist Men feeding units still are in Mobile. Two feeding teams remain in Perry, Ga.

Those volunteers still may be called to service as the Red Cross continues assessing needs, Walker said. Hurricane Ivan hampers long-term relief planning.

“We’ll be ready to respond to get to Texas for Ivan or go back to Florida if needed,” Walker said. “They are as important right now as the units that are being activated now.”