State hotline ready to match volunteers, needs

State hotline ready to match volunteers, needs

Alabama Baptists who want to assist in current disaster relief efforts may call a new Alabama Baptist Volunteer Hotline at the State Board of Missions.
   
“We’ve established a phone bank, which is answered by volunteers, to help Alabama Baptists find places to serve,” said Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM). 
   
“The hotline is for primarily ‘untrained’ volunteers — those who haven’t yet been through Southern Baptist disaster relief training but may have significant skills and experience in areas such as medicine, construction, plumbing, electrical work, technology, architecture, agriculture, benevolence ministry, counseling, caretaking, etc.,” Lance explained.
   
The goal of the hotline is to match willing Alabama Baptists with places to serve in churches and communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina, he said.
   
“Generally speaking, those who volunteer through the hotline will be assigned to places other than the staging areas of the Southern Baptist disaster relief equipment and personnel,” Lance said. 
   
“The reason is because the disaster relief staging areas are run in military-like fashion with volunteers who have been through highly specialized training — each knowing exactly what is expected and needed. Still we believe the hotline will provide a wide variety of means and places to serve for those who call,” he added.
   
To that end, SBOM has already begun identifying areas of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana where volunteers who call the new hotline may be needed.
   
Richard Alford, an associate in the SBOM office of associational missions and church planting, is coordinating the phone bank. He said those who call will be asked a few questions about how and where they can serve.
   
“During the first phone conversation, we won’t be able to offer immediate specifics on where a caller can serve,” Alford said. 
   
“But on a regular basis, we will be aiming to carefully and quickly match available volunteers with needs they can meet,” he said. “We plan to act promptly in finding a place of service for each volunteer.” “Ordinarily our goal would be to make an assignment within a few days,” Alford said.
   
Those wishing to volunteer may call the Alabama Baptist Volunteer Hotline at 334-280-7297 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. After hours and on weekends, a voice message may be left in the general mailbox at the SBOM switchboard at 1-800-264-1225. 
   
A volunteer will return the call on the next business day. Those who know of places where volunteers are needed may also call the hotline. (SBOM)