Behind the Red Cross and Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Convention volunteers make up the third largest private relief group. They hope to increase the number of meals served to victims to 300,000 by this weekend and to 500,000 in the coming weeks.
"This undertaking is unprecedented in its scope," said Bob Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board of the SBC in a press release. He says the volunteers will reach out "in an operation of massive scale, never seen before in the United States."
Reccord said that the SBC effort will reach out in a way "never before seen in the United states."
"We are appealing for financial support from every community across the nation to accomplish our mission as we bring food and humanitarian relief to our fellow Americans affected by this tragedy."
As of Saturday afternoon, more than 1,900 volunteers from 26 states are already serving throughout Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. They are using 178 Southern Baptist Units that provide aid by serving meals, showers and help with communication, according to Jim Conely, a press officer with the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board.
However he also indicates that communicating with field units and coordinating the logistics of moving around food and water has been difficult at this stage in the relief effort.
"Communications has been one of the greatest hurdles," Conely said. He added that communications with Baptist Relief teams in New Orleans has been especially tough with land lines being down, and cell phone contact tenuous at best. Moving food and water has also been a problem which they are working to improve on.
Despite the challenges, there has been a good response from people wanting to help in relief efforts, according to Conely. He says that calls from throughout the nation have come in that have been very generous.
"It's been phenomenal," he said. "People have been incredibly generous and have donated in tremendous ways."
To provide aid to Southern Baptist Relief Efforts visit their website: www.namb.net/dr
Francis Helguero
Christian Today Correspondant