While most Alabamians enjoyed Thanksgiving Day surrounded by family and friends and gathered around tables filled with mouthwatering food, 35 Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers spent their Thanksgiving holidays conducting cleanup ministries on Staten Island, N.Y.
Three disaster relief teams from West Cullman, Limestone and Elmore Baptist associations arrived several days before Thanksgiving to assist survivors of Superstorm Sandy in the cleanup of their water-damaged homes. The teams also included disaster relief chaplains and administrative support personnel.
Kyle Jeffreys, the disaster relief “white cap” who directed the ministry of the 35 volunteers, described Thanksgiving Day as “the best day ever to help people in need.”
“This is some of the dirtiest work our cleanup/recovery teams have ever done, but it was just awesome to see our volunteers work so hard with big smiles on their faces,” he said. “Our group devotion and sharing time on Thanksgiving morning was one of the best ever.”
Mel Johnson, Alabama Baptist disaster relief strategist, sang the praises of Alabama’s disaster relief volunteers. “These teams are but a few of Alabama’s finest. Their commitment to spend Thanksgiving assisting Sandy survivors is a vivid reminder that being on mission for Christ is a lifestyle and not simply an event.”
Glen Baggett, Elmore Association disaster relief team leader from Tallassee, said the teams worked Thanksgiving week in a square-mile area not far from one of Staten Island’s beaches. “This work has been dirty and nasty. Sheetrock in homes has been destroyed, basements flooded and in some cases even framing studs have been damaged.”
Jeffreys noted that the teams completed an average of six cleanup jobs each day. Louisiana and New York Baptists provided shower/laundry units. The New Dorp Moravian Church housed the disaster relief volunteers. Illinois Baptists provided a disaster relief team to cook meals for Alabama’s volunteers.
Ronald Bobo, disaster relief team leader from West Cullman Association, said eating the meals cooked by Illinois disaster relief volunteers was “like having a picnic every day.” The Illinois group left the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
So what did Alabama’s disaster relief teams do for their Thanksgiving meal? Jeffreys told how some food was obtained from the American Red Cross. Then several of Alabama’s disaster relief volunteers scoured the area for other needed Thanksgiving food items. While cleanup crews were at work during Thanksgiving Day, a small group of volunteers remained behind to prepare a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
Don Scott, a chaplain with the West Cullman team, said to a fellow disaster relief volunteer, “When I get home I think I’ll write a book — ‘A Thanksgiving to Remember.’”
Staten Island residents have expressed deep appreciation for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief efforts since Superstorm Sandy struck. Baggett commented that Alabama’s trailers and vehicles all had disaster relief signs on them. “When Staten Island residents saw our vehicles they would flag us down and thank us for being there.”
Amey Primiano, a resident of Staten Island, wrote in a letter to disaster relief volunteers that she is “reduced to tears” every time she sees a disaster relief trailer.
“You are Jesus,” she wrote. “You have changed us. You have inspired us. You have restored our faith in humanity. There is no adequate way to say thank you.”
Baggett summarized the week’s ministry this way: “It’s been much more of a blessing for us than for them.”
The teams from West Cullman, Limestone and Elmore associations were scheduled to leave the Saturday after Thanksgiving, although some volunteers from all three teams were planning to remain behind for a while longer to assist a Kentucky disaster relief feeding unit.
Johnson explained that coordination is currently underway to continue sending Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief teams to Staten Island. The plans call for rotating three teams at a time through Dec. 22, when future needs will be assessed.
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