When Jeff Cornelius, a member of NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville, enrolled at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary this semester to begin studying to be a missionary, he had no idea how quickly he would be schooled in real-life missions opportunities.
Hurricane Katrina forced Cornelius’ evacuation from New Orleans and destroyed all of his belongings. Now, instead of going to classes, he’s living at First Baptist Church, Pascagoula, Miss., and spending his time helping distribute basic necessities to local residents who lost everything due to the hurricane.
What motivates him to volunteer? “My love for God and my love for people,” Cornelius said. “These people out here have lost everything, and they need someone to help them.”
First, Pascagoula, is one of many disaster relief staging sites scattered across Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama that provide space for feeding, medical, communications and shower units. The sites also serve as locations from which chain saw teams can work.
In addition, the parking lot of First Baptist Church, Biloxi, Miss., has been transformed into a huge distribution center — staffed primarily by Alabama and Georgia Baptist volunteers — where local residents can receive supplies.
The operation is being coordinated by Kay Cassibry, executive director of Mississippi Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), who turned to Jim Wood, a member of Millry Baptist Church, Millry (Ala.), to organize the effort.
It’s a monumental task, with trucks of supplies rolling in daily. Donations have been received from almost every state and Canada.
Wood and a team of volunteers arrived Sept. 4 and set up a drive-through system in the parking lot, where hurricane victims could pick up food, water, ice, personal hygiene items, baby items and cleaning supplies.
For the first two weeks, an average of 500 cars a day came through the line, most of which represented two families. It requires at least 50 volunteers a day and a lot of donations to support that kind of traffic, Wood said.
“This is not us individually. It’s God’s work and we’re just trying to do what He wants us to do,” he said. “We might start to run low on certain type things, and in just a few minutes, here it will come. The Lord is supplying what we need.”
Each day, from before the line opens at 9 a.m. until as late as 6 p.m., the line of cars stretches out one or two miles long. Several chaplains walk up and down the line all day to offer cold water, tracts, Bibles, prayers and words of encouragement.
“We get quite a bit of time to witness to the people while they’re waiting in line to get supplies. The majority of people we’ve talked to lost everything they have, and all they own is in the vehicle with them,” said Boyd Hartzog, associate pastor of Lee Street Baptist Church, Enterprise, and one of several Alabama Baptist chaplains working at the site.
The team of chaplains has given away hundreds of Bibles and has seen many come to know Christ.
Also volunteering at the distribution site for several days was Jackie McCaleb, a member of Woodridge Baptist Church, Mobile, which itself sustained more than $100,000 of hurricane-related damage.
“It’s an opportunity to give back,” he said. “It’s what the Bible tells us to do — to help when we can.”
Pascagoula residents Donovan and Debbie Tivet and their two children arrived at the church in their van, packed down with everything they own. All of their other possessions were destroyed. “If it wasn’t for you all, I don’t think we’d be able to start over,” Debbie Tivet told the volunteers at the site.
Rex Yancey, pastor of First, Pascagoula, estimates that 90 to 95 percent of the 500 who regularly attend his church — including his entire staff — lost most or all of their belongings. In spite of that, church members see this as an opportunity to show Pascagoula they care.
“When you walk around town, you hear people say, ‘These Baptists are wonderful.’ Not only did volunteers provide material assistance, but they witnessed to folks as well,” Yancey said.
Cassibry added, “This is simply the church being the church. I’ve had people tell me ‘You were the first ones that fed us a meal. You were the first ones that helped us in any way.’ The volunteers are putting their faith in action in ways that maybe under normal circumstances they wouldn’t have, and it’s incredible to see what they’re doing.”
Yancey said he is grateful for the volunteers. “The fact that you came and offered us assistance and relief helped to keep us on our feet and helped us regain our focus, and we’ll never forget you for that,” he said.
For information about volunteering call the Alabama Baptist Volunteer Hotline at 334-280-7297 or 1-800-264-1225 after hours.
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