September 8, 2017

By Jeff Huett

DECATUR, Ga. — As the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and its partners continue to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, CBF Disaster Response is monitoring Hurricane Irma as it bears down on Florida and the Southeast after causing devastation in the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos, and other nations.

CBF is networking with national and state partners in preparation to assist as requested. CBF and CBF Florida are in contact with partners in Puerto Rico, Haiti, Bahamas, Cuba and Florida. CBF will work with all affected CBF state and regional organizations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), as well as other local and national partners in any response.

CBF International Disaster Response Coordinator David Harding urged preparedness in this time of uncertainty.

“We grieve with those who have already suffered from this storm and are putting all the pieces in place to respond through our CBF network of churches and state organizations,” Harding said. “The path is uncertain so we encourage all in the cone of probability to prepare and have a pathway to connect with your local CBF family with first assessments when it is safe to do so. These reports will help us build a response plan.”

In keeping with CBF’s focus on long-term impact, CBF Disaster Response participates in networks seeking to help communities after a devastating event, but employs most of its resources on the long-term recovery, rehabilitation and resiliency of a community after first-responders have finished their work.

In the meantime, please pray, prepare to volunteer and give.

Pray

• for victims of the storm in the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos, and other nations.
• for those in Florida who are evacuating from coastal areas and those on high alert along in other states, including Georgia, South Carolina an North Carolina.
• for churches and church buildings that will be affected in all of these areas
• for civil servants and utilities workers
• for volunteers who will go to help in the days ahead

Volunteer 

As search and rescue efforts give way to recovery, CBF will begin providing information and accepting registrations for volunteer teams to travel to affected areas. Keep an eye on the CBF website and social media for more information on volunteer opportunities.

Give

As CBF helps get people and communities back on their feet over the long-term, financial resources will be necessary. Please consider a gift to the CBF Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund.

Donations in support of CBF’s hurricane disaster response efforts may be made online here or by mailing a check payable to “CBF” with Hurricane Relief in the memo line to:

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
P.O. Box 102972
Atlanta, GA 30368-2972

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CBF is a Christian network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry eff­orts, global missions and a broad community of support. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.