Hurricane Katrina has devastated the Gulf Coast and lives in Louisiana and our neighboring states of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have been turned upside down with no sign of a return to normalcy in the near future.

I urge all of us to fervently pray for everyone involved. Pray for the victims and their families as they go through this period of shock, dismay, waiting, rebuilding and mourning. Pray for the relief workers already on site and those waiting to get in that the grace of God will be evident in the work they do. God is still sovereign; He is still in control. May we as His people come together with one voice and lift up all those involved in this disaster so that people not only receive the physical help needed, but also the spiritual help and healing that has an eternal impact on their lives.

Sincerely,

David Hankins, Executive Director, LBC

Louisiana Baptist Convention Disaster Relief response to Hurricane Katrina
Updates can be found at www.lbc.org
Email us with information or questions at katrinaresponse@lbc.org or call toll free 877-487-4658.

- Southern Baptist and Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief units are working closely with FEMA, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army to bring help to those in need. Louisiana Disaster Relief has been working on relief efforts since the storm first made its turn toward the Gulf Coast. Information on what is happening from a Louisiana perspective and how you can help is being updated on our web site, www.lbc.org. If you are willing to volunteer your time to the relief effort, you can contact us at katrinaresponse@lbc.org or call toll free at 877-487-4658.

- We are in a time of waiting at the moment. Plans are still being made and we are ready to respond in full force, but the conditions in areas affected by the storm are not allowing all ground units to move in yet. Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief has over 11 chain saw units being readied and many more are moving in from all over the Southern Baptist Convention. The Red Cross has asked that we help with feeding at their shelters and we have responded with 25 feeding units waiting to roll with an initial serving of food for 20,000. The Red Cross has asked SBC Disaster Relief units to be ready to serve over 500,000 meals per day for the next 90 days.

- Volunteers to assist with mud-outs are greatly needed. Due to the amount of water, still rising in some areas, mud and debris left behind will need to be cleared so relief units can get to where they need to be. If you would like to volunteer for mud-outs, please contact us at 1-877-487-4658 or katrinaresponse@lbc.org. A list of the needs for mud-out operations can be found at the bottom of this email.

- We have an IMMEDIATE need for all churches with buses, vans, etc. to help evacuate those in the Superdome!!! We have been asked to coordinate efforts to get those in the Superdome out, due to rising water. If you are able to help with this please, contact the Louisiana Baptist Convention at 1-877-487-4658 or katrinaresponse@lbc.org.

- We are praying for and providing help to all those affected in this tragedy, but we are trying to re-establish communication with our Louisiana churches, pastors and staff in the area to first, make sure they are safe and second, to see what their needs are. There are churches in the area that are able to help their community and we want to make sure everyone is getting the information they need. If you are one of the pastors or staff of one our Louisiana Baptist churches in the area, please contact us at 877-487-4658 and give us an update on your situation. If you are a member of one of the churches affected or you know someone in a church and have information you can share with us, please do so by calling  877-487-4658. Again, we are helping all people in need, but we are trying to contact our churches in the area to get assessments and updates.