St. Clair Association gets $75,000 grant for relief trailers

St. Clair Baptist Association has been awarded a $75,000 grant to construct three disaster relief trailers, a gift that will add “in a significant way to the already exploding response teams throughout our state,” said Tommy Puckett, director of disaster relief for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. 
   
The faith-based grant, given by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), will partially fund the construction of the trailers, which are “to be used during crises or disaster, primarily in the Appalachian region,” said Ben Chandler, director of missions for St. Clair Association. 
   
The Appalachian region includes states housing the Appalachian Mountains, from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It encompasses 37 Alabama counties.
   
Gov. Bob Riley’s office initiated the application process by contacting St. Clair Association with information about the grant. 
   
“Faith-based organizations like the St. Clair County Baptist Association play a tremendous role in helping Alabamians recover from natural disasters,” Riley said. “These trailers will provide valuable services to Alabama victims and the workers who are assisting them.”
   
Chandler said the trailers will be owned and operated by St. Clair Association and its disaster relief team will construct the 30-foot trailers, which will each contain six showers, two washing machines and two dryers.
   
The trailers will provide disaster relief workers with a place to shower after a long day in the field, Chandler said, adding that the association already has more than 250 people trained in disaster relief.  
   
Now St. Clair Association will train volunteers in the “shower ministry.” They will be trained to deploy the trailers wherever needed in the state if disaster strikes. 
   
Chandler said the association hopes to have at least one trailer, if not all three, ready by October. (TAB)