DISASTER RELIEF

A disaster hits suddenly and with it the opportunity for immediate ministry. There seems to be no area of mission action that requires more rapid response than during times of disaster. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is Christian love in action meeting urgent needs of humanity in crisis situation.

First Baptist Hendersonville, in partnership with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, is part of this ministry. Volunteers from Tennessee have responded to well over 50 national and international disasters. We contribute manpower, physical resources, financial assistance, and hope to disaster areas worldwide.

We are very excited about our Disaster Relief effort here at First Baptist. We have had over 300 people trained in the Basic Disaster Relief Training course and many in specialty areas. We continue to provide opportunities for training each year. Our church is now able to provide a Laundry Unit for use in disaster response, as well as a Recovery Unit. Our volunteers will be able to respond with these units, as well as work with other Tennessee Baptist Convention teams, as needed.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the Disaster Relief Team, contact Donna Milewski, Missions Ministry Specialist at 615.447.1305.

Laundry Unit

Some might call it a "rolling laundry mat." For the relief workers serving in Louisiana for Hurricane Katrina relief, they called the First Baptist Church laundry trailer a blessing.

Inside this 20-foot trailer are 4 washers and 5 dryers. The washers are powered by a 10,000 watt generator and the dryers by two 100 lb. propane tanks. Storage cabinets contain a host of supplies to keep the trailer functioning.

Manned by trained Disaster Relief volunteers from our church, our unit is able to help keep relief workers serving in the field for extended periods. This unique ministry tool provides our church family with the opportunity to serve in specific and much needed disaster relief situations.

Recovery Unit

First Baptist Church wants to be equipped to meet the numerous challenges of a disaster. One big step in this process is the creation of our Recovery Unit. In August of 2006 this trailer went online to assist in helping individuals rebuilt their lives. This trailer contains numerous items to assist with clean-up and rebuilding in the wake of any disaster including: chain saws, air compressor, nail guns, pressure washer, various hand tools, shovels, sledge hammers, various power tools, roofing supplies, ladders, floodlights, and a generator.

The chainsaws of this unit played a huge role in our church's recovery efforts after the tornados in our community in April of 2006. Just as then, this trailer will play a vital role in First Baptist’s ability to respond to future disasters.