While many Americans were enjoying Fourth of July celebrations, North Carolina Baptist Men deployed its Manna One unit and about 50 disaster relief volunteers to Lewisburg, W.Va. Since then, they have helped provide meals to locals who lost power due to a destructive storm that moved through the area.
Gaylon Moss, disaster relief director for N.C. Baptist Men, received a call July 3 around 4 p.m. about providing assistance to people in Lewisburg. By midday July 4 the team had set up and began preparing about 1,200 meals.
“I praise the Lord for that,” Moss said. “The Lord is inspiring people,” to respond quickly to meet other people’s needs, he added.
Derecho – a straight-line windstorm in a fast-moving thunderstorm system – moved through the area June 29 knocking off power to many people.
Because of a boil-water advisory, the team also hauled in purified water to the site. (EDITOR'S NOTE: As of July 10, the latest report showed that 33,000 meals had been prepared and 15 people had made a decision for Christ.)
Manna One, N.C. Baptist Men’s largest feeding unit, has the capability to produce 30,000 meals a day.
The unit is the central hub for mass feeding operations in West Virginia, Moss said.
Meanwhile, more volunteers are needed in Pamlico, Dare and Burke counties in North Carolina. Pamlico and Dare county residents are still struggling after Hurricane Irene hit last year. A tornado also ripped through Burke County in January causing severe damage to houses in the area.
Individuals and teams would be working on reconstruction of houses that were damaged.
“We’d like to show them God’s love in a tangible way,” Moss said.
To volunteer, contact N.C. Baptist Men at (800) 395-5102, ext. 5606.
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