Being a tornado relief donations drop-off center has been a simple undertaking for many Alabama Baptist churches. Most just opened their doors, informed the community they would be accepting items for storm victims and enlisted a few volunteers to sort donations and deliver them to areas where they are needed most. Still, several have found ways to make their work more efficient.
Pastor Ronnie Knight and the staff at Seman Baptist Church, Eclectic, in Elmore Baptist Association are bivocational and could not always be present at the church building. But, they still wanted to help other churches in the area accept donations for storm victims while making it more convenient for the donators. So, Knight has asked donors to call ahead before bringing their contributions, which will then be delivered to the much larger donations warehouse set up by First Baptist Church, Eclectic.
“We’ve got people that live in the area, and there’s no one at the church all the time,” Knight said, noting the church is only three miles away from the Mount Hebron disaster area. “We wanted to make it more convenient for people who want to donate. … Then, we’ll get it to the appropriate place.”
Instead of requiring tornado victims receiving donations to come to the church to get donations, some churches like Northport Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa Baptist Association have made it more convenient for those who have lost so much.At times church volunteers take their contact information and call them back when their box of items is assembled.
“If you have a need we want to fulfill that need,” said Kenyon Hamner, children’s minister at Northport Baptist.
Other churches are using social media networks to communicate with those wanting to donate and people needing the relief items.
Ken Maddox, director of missions for Mud Creek Baptist Association, said Crossroad Baptist Church, Hueytown, has successfully used Facebook as a communications tool.
“When they have had a need come up, they put it on Facebook,” he said. “Facebook has been really effective for [volunteers] to meet those needs.”
Jason Green, associate pastor and student minister at Crossroad Baptist said, “Facebook and Twitter (has given us) access to thousands of people to let them know what we need.”
The State Board of Missions is also using social media including Facebook and Twitter to find out where needs are and to pass that information along to churches housing the resources.
For more information on Alabama Baptist disaster relief efforts, visit www.alsbom.org/tornadorelief.
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