JEFFERSON CITY – The Apostle Paul explains in 1 Cor 12:12, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” He goes on to say in verse 27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” So it is with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. Some volunteers are chaplains, some maintain the shower and laundry units, and some prepare meals. In the meantime, others provide flood recovery or operate a chainsaw. In … [Read more...]
Missouri DR volunteers help IMB missionary after tree falls on stateside home in Georgia
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Hurricane Helene was described by one official as a 400-mile-wide tornado, … which isn’t too far from reality. So, even though Asheville, N.C., has gotten much of the media’s attention, there’s been no less damage in neighboring states. That’s certainly the case in Augusta, Georgia — just 180 miles from Asheville — where volunteers with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (MODR) have been working since Sept. 26. “I would describe it as one big debris field,” said Toby Tucker, … [Read more...]
Missouri DR teams respond to Hurricane Francine
BATON ROUGE, La. (MODR) – Even though Hurricane Francine quickly subsided to a tropical storm after it made landfall in Louisiana, that doesn’t mean it didn’t have a devastating impact on hundreds of southern Louisiana residents. Having come onshore as a Category II hurricane on Sept. 11, it still left hundreds of people without power or with damage to homes and property. In response, Missouri Disaster Relief (MODR) teams arrived in Louisiana within 24 hours of landfall with two of the … [Read more...]
Missouri Disaster Relief’s ADA shower trailer proves it’s value following Iowa floods
SPENCER, Iowa (MODR) – Anyone who has ever used a Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief shower trailer knows the routine is to leave your shoes on the steps so that everyone knows that shower is in use. Being based in a trailer, though, the key word is “steps” … and not everyone can climb steps. That’s why Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief invested in an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant shower trailer this past year, which offers both shower access and laundry facilities to those … [Read more...]
Missouri Disaster Relief responds to recent flooding in Iowa
SPENCER, Iowa (MODR) – It’s a sad case of irony that following a disastrous flood, there’s still a need for more water. That was certainly the case in Spencer, Iowa, after the area received nearly 16 inches of rain over three days in late June, flooding nearly 500 homes, or roughly 40 percent of the town. Granted, there was plenty of bottled water available after most utilities in the city were cut off. The needs that involved water that weren’t readily available, though, were showers and … [Read more...]
MODR Collegiate interns hit the ground running
JEFFERSON CITY (MODR) – There’s an old saying that “many hands make light work.” The idea is that a large task is generally made easier by many hands shouldering the same burden. Consequently, the 12 extra set of hands provided by the 2024 Missouri Baptist Collegiate Disaster Relief team have been invaluable this year, even if the load hasn’t always been light. “We started right after Memorial Day with 13 students,” said Aaron Werner, leader of the collegiate team and Missouri Baptist … [Read more...]
MODR quick response unit proves invaluable in Iowa, Southeast Missouri
MINDEN, Iowa – Over the years, the Mass Feeding Unit, which has been frequently deployed by Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief, has provided literally thousands of hot meals to disaster victims throughout the country. In fact, it’s been used to feed as many as 10,000 people per day following some of America’s worst hurricanes. Unfortunately, it also has its limitations when it comes to agility and response time. Because it’s housed in a semi-trailer, it requires a large area for setup, as … [Read more...]
Storms keep Missouri Disaster Relief active
JOPLIN – The sound of storm warning sirens is surely frightening for anyone who lived in the Joplin area in 2011, when an EF5 tornado destroyed more than a fourth of the city and killed 185 people. Fortunately, the tornado that hit the area on May 6 wasn’t nearly as bad as the 2011 EF5. Not only were there no deaths or injuries, but no houses were destroyed. Still, the storms left hundreds of downed trees in their path as they moved across parts of Joplin and neighboring Carthage. … [Read more...]
MODR Hay Shipments to Texas Help Both Animals and Fire Victims
TEXAS PANHANDLE – Disasters come in all forms and sizes; and, on occasion, affect more than the humans who have been impacted. That was certainly the case earlier this year in the Texas Panhandle, where range fires burned an estimated 850,000 acres in two days and impacted nearly 65,000 head of cattle. As Scottie Stice, State Director for Southern Baptist Texas Convention's Disaster Relief Ministry, explained, nearly 7,000 head of cattle were killed in the fires. And while some farmers … [Read more...]
Two Missouri DR volunteers given national distinguished service award
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri may be known as the “Show Me State”, but the award ceremony at the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) Roundtable, held on Jan. 23-25, revealed that Missouri Disaster Relief (MODR) volunteers are better known for showing compassion than skepticism. During the awards banquet, which was held during the annual event, not one, but two MODR volunteers were recognized with the Distinguished Service Award for exceptional service. The first was a memorial to the late … [Read more...]
MODR assists in the ultimate treasure hunt in Maui
LAHAINA, Maui – When Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief teams deploy to a disaster, it’s all about providing help, hope and healing. In most cases, it means helping families prepare to recover by cutting trees off of buildings or cleaning up after a flood so they can get on with their lives. Unfortunately, the situation is much different after a fire. “In that situation, we are helping a family grieve the loss of everything they own, often including their home,” related Richard Brummitt, … [Read more...]
MODR volunteers receive blessings in return
GLENALLEN – With a motto of “Providing Help, Hope and Healing,” volunteers with Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief strive to be a blessing to those who have suffered disasters in one form of another. But quite often, the volunteers are equally blessed by those they serve. As an example, Joe Dayringer related that while he was working as the incident commander in Glenallen, Missouri, following a flood in August, he had the joy of helping a lady celebrate her 104th birthday. “She was still … [Read more...]