Calling Upon The Church

We are in desperate need of volunteers and funding to continue serving those devastated by IKE.  We know American’s are in a state of turmoil and fear based on the current economy.  Know there is many hurting worse than you.  We challenge you to look upward and outward.  

Please read our latest prayer update for further info.  Let us know that you are praying for our country, The Church, our ministry, and the thousands who don’t know how or IF they can go on.  May God heal and Bless our land.

Pressing in for Breakthrough! « Impact Ministries Prayer Updates

IMPACT Opens Up In Galveston, TX as Residents Return

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!

PLEASE click here to DONATE NOW: WWW.CITIIMPACT.ORG/HTML/DONATIONS.HTML

Sept 17th

IMPACT is in the midst of setting up a command base, volunteer center, and distribution site in Texas City, TX on Galveston Bay.  This will allow us direct access to help residents when they return.  This will be done in collaboration with other ministries, churches, networks and YOU the volunteers.  The need is huge and it will take the Body of Christ working together to make an IMPACT.

IMMEDIATE NEEDS FOR IKE RECOVERY:

• Volunteer Teams – over 18 only for the first month at least
• Funding for fuel, supplies, food, operations, etc. 
• Gas Cards
• Donations from manufacturers of palletized food, cleaning supplies, water, etc.
• Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes gift cards

DONATE NOW:  IMPACT Ministries – Donations

UPDATES On IKE

Kim Voisin, said last night that at least on levy broke near Bourg, LA.  He’s lived there all his life and this is the highest he’s ever seen the water.  His personal house and church are OK and are equipped to serve the community. 

Emily Davault is from Lake Charles, LA.  She evacuated and will return home tomorrow.  She said flooding is extensive in Lake Charles and devastating in Cameron Parish where water is up to roof tops.  Many in this area were still recovering from Rita.

An area in Pearlington, MS also suffered more flooding where they were still cleaning up from Gustav.

We are prepared to send teams and supplies into all three of these sites within the week.  We have people on the ground in Houston and Galveston.  Once secure and credible sites are established we will begin sending teams there as well.

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• We have a semi of food and supplies ready to roll into Bourg, LA to assist.
• Teams are preparing to enter at various points as soon as the water has receeded.  If you can  form a first response team let us know ASAP.
• NEED funds for deploying kitchen trailer, supplies, and food.  Please assist as you can.  You can use PayPal on our website.
• Pray for protection and provision.  IKE brought a huge blow to millions of people.  God is bigger.  Pray His Church heeds the call to help their neighbors in need.  Let’s show them His love.

Hurricane IKE (Sept 12)

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM, PLEASE MAKE LIFE SECURING PREPARATIONS.

PREPARE by keeping track of our efforts with you and our partners on our news page. We have folks on the ground in TX and LA that will be updating us as we go through the next 24 hours and beyond.

IMPACT Ministries – News

The National Weather Service has issued their most dire warning ever.  “Certain Death” may occur for those who don’t evacuate in Galveston. Please pray for the Lord of hosts to mitigate the Parameters, Power and Potential devastation of this storm. The Lord is ALWAYS GOOD and therefore we know that whatever this is in scope and impact will be less than it could be.   In addition, please post your own requests and prayers on our Prayer Blog.

IMPACT Ministries – Prayer

PREPARE now to send your help. PREPARE to form teams. In addition to our volunteer projects operating in Mississippi and Louisiana, which we have shut down due to IKE, WE ARE READY to serve TEXAS and LOUISIANA .

Citi IMPACT – Volunteer Info

We are still posting photos from Gustav and will be working on getting ones of IKE up as soon as possible.  To view photos:

IMPACT Ministries – Pictures

PREPARE now by making DONATIONS to help others. If you cannot go to the area, please help us minister to people in practical ways with your DONATION. It costs thousands upon thousands of dollars to move equipment, buy fuel and feeding supplies, and to ship in cleaning and life sustaining supplies. We really need your help in Partnership.

IMPACT Ministries – Donations

This month IMPACT and Volunteer Match formed a preferred partnership to encourage volunteers.  Please read the story they wrote about JD, Toni, and our dear friend Wilbur.

VolunteerMatch – Volunteer Stories

Recovery, Preparations, PRAYER

Sept. 10th

Even as we are still discovering the devastation brought to South Louisiana from GUSTAV we pray and prepare for IKE.

Unfortunately, the media moved on from covering GUSTAV as soon as they learned that New Orleans was spared the worst.  It became old news overnight as the Republican Convention took center stage.  It’s true, Gustav was not a “Katrina” (thank God) but for the folks living in Houma, Grand Isle, and the bayou towns they will be without electric for up to a month as they try to function with limited access to gas and power as well as mend roofs, houses, and livelihoods.  We have a semi load of supplies set to arrive later this week to help alleviate some of this strain.

People in Haiti (hit by Hanna, Gustav, and Ike) are desperate for even morsels of food and any shelter they did have washed away.  For them daily life  is not a matter of convenience but survival.  Before the storms most Haitians only ate every third day and in between they would sometimes curb their starvation with mud cakes.  We can only imagine what it is like now.  We are communicating with our ministry partners about the best ways to get help and supplies into Haiti.  If you are interested please respond ASAP.

IMPACT has volunteer centers set to receive teams in Pearlington, MS and Borg, LA.  We also have a new center in New Orleans reaching out to those still recovering from Katrina.  There are accommodations and jobs for over 100 people a day.  Can you bring a team?

We have an Americorps team of ten (pic) serving IMPACT in Pearlington, MS to assist with those who were flooded out from GUSTAV.  They are prepared to stay for four weeks and are working incredibly hard!  We had another team working in Cedar Rapids for a month as well and look to have one in Houma within the coming weeks.

IKE is forecasted to hit the Texas coast as a Cat 3 storm sometime Sat.  Please join us in praying for all in it’s path.  Lisa Cowling, a team leader from Ontario, CANADA, has stepped up to moderate the “Prayer Page“. She will keep you updated on requests, post requests from you, and share reports from those on the ground.  Please keep your eye on both the prayer page  and this news page for the most up to date information.

IKE on the Move

Sept. 8th

We all took a collective sigh of relief when Gustav ended up doing relatively minor damage in comparison to what the forecasters were saying. However, that sigh hardly allowed time to inhale as now Hurricane Ike is moving towards the Gulf Coast. Haiti has been devastated by this years hurricanes, close to 50 died just from Ike. We are looking at ways to help that region and may be forming teams shortly. If you have an interest or know of connections in that country please let us know.

We have a lead team of ten on the ground in MS who will begin working in Pearlington, an area hit hard by Gustav. JD is also in the region this week. He took a truck load of generators and gas to Houma, LA which will likely be without power for a month. We will be sending teams into this area shortly, please sign our online form if you’d like to be part of one. There is a lot of roof damage and many homes completely destroyed from wind. Thankfully though, the flood surge was not nearly as expected.

However, all eyes are on IKE, who has already killed over 300 people total. We don’t want to put anyone in harms way so no more teams will enter until it is clearly safe. As it gets closer we will keep you posted with our response needs. The cost of mobilizing all our equipment for Gustav was very high. If you can help offset that expense your tax deductible donation would be greatly appreciated.

Blessings,

JD and Toni

GUSTAV Slams SW Louisiana

New Orleans is spared the worst at this point – thank you JESUS!  However, our friends in Houma, Bourg, and the bayous saw the worst storm ever to strike Terrebonne Parish.  Reports from Pastor Kim Voisin, estimate have half of the bayou homes are damaged and one fourth of those in Houma. Our initial response vehicles are trying to get there.  So far, they are to Mobile.

Some other news from folks on the ground:

• 100 homes are flooded in Pearlington, MS
• Much more flooding is forecasted as Gustav is moving slowly and dumping
• I-90 is flooded in many places in MS and numerous roads are closed due to high water
• 7 deaths have been reported
• A private levy is on the verge of breaking in New Orleans
• 95% of NOLA was evacuated and are in shelters in neighboring states

We will have eyes on the ground in St. Bernard Parish, Waveland, New Orleans, and Houma tomorrow for better assessments of damage and needs.

We are cautiously watching Hanna and Ike as well as one more forming off the coast of Africa.  It is a bit overwhelming.  Keep praying.

Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna

***** HURRICANE GUSTAV *****

Predictions are (without God’s mighty intervention) Gustav will be “catastrophic” and up to 3X bigger than Katrina in size, intesity, and storm surge.  We pray it is not so, but are preparing for the worst.  WE NEED YOUR HELP TO HELP OTHERS.

Our first team is set to leave Sunday morning with kitchen trailer, cots, shower trailer, tools, generators, 4-wheeler, chainsaws, food, supplies, etc.  We plan on setting up a staging area for teams to follow.  Keep them in your prayers.

 If you can contribute to the cost of fuel, supplies, and set-up please do so immediately

WWW.CITIIMPACT.ORG/HTML/DONATIONS.HTML

OTHER NEEDS: 

• PRAYER Covering
• First Responders, teams for clean-up, counselors
• Food and Water if in bulk from company
• Satellite phone
• Phone Cards
• Rescue Boats
• Financial donations for supplies and fuel
• YOU

WWW.CITIIMPACT.ORG

DONATIONS: WWW.CITIIMPACT.ORG/HTML/DONATIONS.HTML

IMMEDIATE NEED OF FIRST RESPONDERS!

Charlotte, NC – 100 year flooding from remnants of FAY, many without flood insurance as beyond flood plains.  Many evacutions and rescues under way.  Have mobilized an assessment team and are prepared to operate kitchen trailer as well as clean up crews.  This is our headquarters and home (we are fine).  Ironically, JD is in Florida.

Melbourne, FL - Fay dumped up to 30 inches of water in this area.  JD is setting up a base and preparing for our first on the ground team.  We will begin working at a mobile home retirement community where 300 are displaced.  In need of clean up crews and those skilled in heating/AC.

NEED PEOPLE ON STANDBY:

Gustav is heading towards the Gulf of Mexico.  As of 11am this morning it is on track to hit  SE Louisiana  on Monday as Cat 3 storm.  We will make a decision this weekend as to what to deploy and when.  We need people to drive equipment from Charlotte as well as on the ground crews to assist with cooking, cleanup, and counseling.  Please notify us of your availability ASAP.

Donations needed for supplies and cost of deploying equipment.  Your tax deductible donations can be made through PayPal – here is the link:

IMPACT Ministries – Donations