I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’ll hear about horrific natural disasters and think ‘wow that’s terrible,’ but I’ll have no idea how to help outside of prayer. Or you see a group of people lending a hand in a neighborhood and think ‘I could do that.’
Here in Oklahoma, we have one of the most amazing response teams known across the globe. Disaster Relief teams were on the ground preparing before yesterday’s tornados even had touched down.
Currently, there is a feeding team set up in Norman, Okla., for anyone impacted by the storms. Groups of men are out working their magic with chainsaws, helping people to get trees and materials off of yards, vehicles, and houses. A laundry trailer has been set up at Carney, First. Chaplains are out ministering to people and learning how Oklahoma Baptists can step up and help them in their time of need.
Oklahoma has one of the highest numbers of chaplains and trained volunteers for when a disaster strikes. It’s a lot of fun seeing these guys in action, and when a disaster strikes in your neighborhood and you see a bunch of people running around in yellow shirts, that’s our Disaster Relief teams seeing how they can help.
So the question becomes how can you get involved with this amazing group of people?
- Pray. Always needed and appreciated!
- Get trained. Disaster Relief offer trainings for a variety of different capacities. Find out about trainings at www.bgco.org/DRtraining
- Go. There is a constant need for trained disaster relief workers. If you can help wash laundry, help people dig their houses out after a hurricane, willing to offer a smile and a helping hand…disaster relief is for you!
- Give. Many times, schedules simply won’t allow time off but you can give at www.okdisasterhelp.com/donate
You can always keep up-to-date on the Oklahoma Disaster Relief teams via Facebook or Twitter.
Help this incredible group of volunteers who are sharing God’s love with Oklahomans impacted by the storms.