Local church sends disaster relief team to Georgia
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Recovery after a storm can be hard.
As Hurricane Helene left behind significant damage and Hurricane Milton approaches, local churches are mobilizing disaster relief teams.
Lives can change in an instant when a hurricane moves over cities and towns.
“We’ve been to a lot of disasters, and we hate that it was disastrous, but our church has been willing to provide resources to help and also volunteers,” said Tommy Gillon, the disaster relief ministry leader at Fairview Baptist Church in Columbus.
Fairview is preparing to send a team to Alma, Georgia, a town affected by Hurricane Helene.
“The tools that we take is just like if we have nothing,” said Gillon.
To assist devastated areas after a storm, Fairview brings portable showers and gives away generators.
They provide additional needs for families and communities with the help of other churches in the Mississippi Baptist Convention.
Volunteers also provide hot meals and tarp damaged roofs.
Steve McKay has been volunteering for disaster relief with Fairview since 2004.
“Not only are you helping people but it kind of helps you as well. You feel like you’re needed and you can see the need of the people and you can fulfill those needs or help them,” said McKay.
Since then, the team has been to several affected areas around the country, such as Missouri, Texas, and North Carolina.
“Now we go off to trainings and chain saw trainings and (have) cooking teams. We’re a very well-greased and oiled machine on disaster relief,” said McKay.
Fairview plans to send teams weekly for the next month.
If you would like to volunteer, you can contact Fairview Baptist Church.
