As Hurricane Ian’s storm surge is receding and the winds are subsiding, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief teams—in cooperation with numerous other Baptist state convention DR teams and other relief partners—are beginning to respond to the enormous human need left in the hurricane’s wake.
Teams of DR volunteers from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Kentucky Baptist Convention, Louisiana Baptist Convention, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and Mississippi Baptist Convention have been arriving in Florida in preparation for relief efforts. Each state convention’s DR team will serve residents in a specific county impacted by the hurricane.
Additionally, FLDR leaders are cooperating with Southern Baptists’ Send Relief, the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army in relief efforts.
David Coggins, Florida Baptist DR coordinator, expressed gratefulness for the cooperative relief efforts.
In numerous hard-hit areas along the Gulf Coast, relief volunteers will begin offering meals to the storm-weary residents and helping victims with clean-up and recovery. Volunteers seek to demonstrate God’s love in action as they serve hurricane victims.
After storm damage and needs are assessed in inland areas of Florida, relief teams are prepared to respond as needed.
With the ferocity and scale of Hurricane Ian, relief efforts are projected to be ongoing for the foreseeable future, and additional state conventions will likely send DR teams to assist in the ministry efforts.
Coggins has asked all Southern Baptists to pray that relief efforts will bring help, healing and hope to hurricane victims. He believes that God can provide hope amid the devastation.
For updates on FLDR response go to facebook.com/FLBaptistDR and flbaptist.org/dr-current-response. To give financially in support of these relief efforts go to https://flbaptist.org/dr-give/. Donations of items are not needed at this time.