Disaster Relief panel shares experiences

MELBOURNE (FBC)—Exhibiting a brotherly kindness after the 2004 hurricanes, Southern Baptists and Florida Baptists enacted the scriptural mandate to love others as themselves through a readiness to give time and resources to families in storm-ravaged communities.

During the April 15-16 Celebration of Missions at First Baptist Church, Melbourne, disaster relief workers told of their most memorable accounts of last year’s storms, declaring volunteer response and donated resources as some of their most striking recollections.

The panel included Fritz Wilson, director of the Florida Baptist Men’s Department; Brenda Forlines, director of the Convention’s Church and Community Ministries Department; Nancy Lee, administrative assistant, Peace River Baptist Association, and Deborah Guy of Vero Beach. Linda Miniard, associate in the Convention’s Women’s Missions and Ministries Department facilitated the questions. Following are the questions and some of the panel members’ answers.

Question: As the leader of a Florida Baptist disaster relief childcare team, what most amazed you through the 2004 storm season?

Answer: [Deborah Guy, Vero Beach]

“What amazed me after working in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda and also Vero Beach was the people who came out and volunteered. In Punta Gorda, we watched 30+ children a day as families searched for what could be a safe and clean environment in the midst of disaster. At that time as we were hit by two storms on the west coast, one on the east coast and one in the Panhandle, it was amazing to see volunteers keep walking through the doors and as a result we did not have to turn anyone away.”

Question: As the Convention’s director of disaster relief, what most amazed you during the months of August through September 2004?

Answer: [Fritz Wilson, director, Florida Baptist Men, Jacksonville]

“One thing was the way churches in Florida responded. We set up kitchen sites at 47 different locations and at some churches twice. For example, here at First Melbourne, the pastor and others literally opened their doors and their floors and Sunday School rooms to the North Carolina Baptist men and women that came in and worked for months. “

Question: As the leader of needs assessment and commodity distribution, what stands out to you as a shining moment of the 2004 storm season?

Answer: [Brenda Forlines, director, Church and Community Ministries, Jacksonville]

“I remember hurricane Andrew was the first time we were hit with a category 4-5 storm. At that time, churches started bringing in food items and commodities. As I drove down to respond to the first hurricane this past August, I wondered in my mind if the churches would send in the food—and they did. We had car loads and truck loads and semi-truck loads of food items, diapers and all kinds of things people needed. Because of the response, we were able to provide commodities to nearly 39,000 people.”

Question: You are a resident of Southwest Florida. As a staff member for the Peace River Baptist Association and an active church member, what will always remain in your memory from this experience?

Answer: [Nancy Lee, Punta Gorda]

“At one point we drove down the streets of a mobile home community to give water to people working on their damaged homes and to see what other needs they had. To see the faces of those who were so amazed that people from a church would drive down the streets to give them something and to see the difference it made in that community was a shining moment. I am thankful God placed us there to serve them.”

Question: What will you always remember about those who volunteered after these storms?

Answer: [Fritz Wilson, director of the Florida Baptist Men’s Department]

“We have about 800 Florida Baptists that are trained disaster relief volunteers who responded to one of the four storms. Of those individuals, we estimate that 70-75 percent were hit by at least one of the storms. I will always remember their willingness to serve others despite their own challenges.”