Galveston residents were allowed to return “home” today. Although, “home” is quite a relative term.
IMPACT Ministries’ JD & Toni Smith, in collaboration with many local ministries, is opening NOW an outreach center for ministry in Galveston on Galveston Island, south of Houston, Texas. The center will house volunteers for serving the Hurricane Ike residents, a feeding center, a community distribution center for residents needed supplies, and daily worship space. Also, there will ongoing counseling and case management for the residents in the offices for IMPACT Ministries and its local, regional and national partners. This IMPACT Regional Ministry Center will serve the entire area south of Houston and Galveston Island.
Our second TEXAS volunteer center will also open this week in Beaumont, Texas with a collaboration formed there with the local churches, local government, and some of IMPACT’s other partners from around the country. Our first semi-load of supplies will arrive there this weekend. At 8:45 pm CDT Wednesday night, the mayor of Beaumont gave clearance for any and all activities that IMPACT desires for his city and the many surrounding towns and cities.
A team of volunteers from North Carolina has transported a kitchen trailer, and other equipment into the region. IMPACT is ready to take teams now and in within this very week can house a thousand people a day, in various locations across the Guf Coast in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
The devastation is massive. Hurricane IKE Devastation pictures
Obviously, the news media has significantly downplayed the coverage of the physical destruction since the death toll was not (thank the Lord) anywhere near that of Katrina. This is commonly called the “Katrina Effect”. Yet the human suffering is so traumatic. In Beaumont, TX many residents had just gotten back in their homes from Rita. This was the case with Bryan, a local ministry leader, and his wife, Angie. Not only did they loose their home again but their daughter and her husband also lost everything they owned. Amber, the daughter, then gave birth to a little boy named Brendan just two days ago. All the baby supplies she had prepared were lost and Brendan has no home to go home to. Bryan, Angie ,Amber, Frank, and Brendan are all living with Bryan’s mom for the foreseeable future.
Bryan was ready to quit it all. JD spoke to him today and encouraged him that he did not need to walk this walk alone. To start, IMPACT Ministries will be delivering a semi load of food, cleaning supplies, and hygiene items this weekend. Bryan is thrilled and has begun rallying the community to distribute.
Bourg, Louisiana residents also received a semi-load of supplies on Sunday morning, September 22nd. The entire truck was unloaded and distributed to people who need it in only two hours!! The reports are that there were lots of smiling faces, thankful hearts, and praises to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
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