Canadians quick to send help to devastated victims
Less than a year after Canadians opened their hearts and wallets to tsunami relief efforts, churches and Christian organizations across the country are reaching out to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
As news reports transmitted increasingly horrific stories and images from the Gulf states, Christian organizations such as Crossroads Missions, Canadian Food for the Hungry International, World Vision Canada, Samaritan's Purse Canada and The Salvation Army responded.
Burlington, Ontario-based Crossroads Missions—the emergency response and development arm of Crossroads Christian Communications Inc.—partnered with The Goodness Project in the U.S. to deliver emergency food, water and other supplies to victims of the hurricane in New Orleans and Biloxi, Mississippi.
Crossroads president Ron Mainse told ChristianWeek his own family has a personal connection to the tragedy. Mainse's wife, Ann, has relatives in the stricken area. Her mother, who lives in New Orleans, was evacuated to Houston. An older brother who lives in Picayune, Mississippi was forced to take refuge from the storm for several days in a local factory.
Mainse says that within two days of establishing their emergency assistance plan, Crossroads call centres had received approximately 1,000 calls from viewers wanting to help. "That is high. That's much higher than our regular ask-for-donations type of response," says Mainse.
Crossroads is organizing several volunteer mission teams that will assist in the distribution of emergency provisions in the coming weeks.
World Vision Canada is also distributing emergency provisions of medical supplies, water containers, clothing, cooking equipment, personal hygiene items, storage bags and toys and games for children through their American affiliate and partner agencies.
President Dave Toycen says World Vision phones began to ring with offers of donations within 24 hours of the storm. "I think what's obvious is the human toll is extremely great," he explains.
While he acknowledges that the U.S. has enormous resources of its own, "it is our neighbour to the south and there's a need, at least psychologically, to stand in solidarity."
"So I think that's what's generated some of the response we've seen so far."
Samaritan's Purse sent a Disaster Relief Unit—a specially-equipped tractor-trailer stocked with emergency supplies—from Calgary to work in the devastated areas. They also plan to send several relief teams of volunteer workers for two-week mission trips, beginning the end of September.
The Salvation Army sent their first team of Canadian reinforcements to the U.S. September 6. Church members from B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Newfoundland met up in Jackson, Mississippi with the intent of working wherever the need was greatest.
Lay Salvationist Don Royan has worked with denominational relief efforts in Iraq and at ground zero in New York. Before leaving for Mississippi, the Calgarian told Salvationarmy.ca that flexibility is important when working in such situations. "When you go into a disaster area, things are always changing and you have to be prepared to do whatever.
"I really believe that's the heart we go down to Jackson with," he says. "We're prepared to help clean up if some garbage needs to be picked up. If it's a matter of helping feed and clothe people, we're willing to do that. If it's pastoral care and praying with people on the street, we're happy to do that."
Within days of the hurricane, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada president Bruce Cleminger issued a written statement calling on Christians across the country to remember the hurricane victims in prayer and "to respond generously toward the relief interventions."
Denominations were quick to establish special hurricane relief funds while churches across the country took up special offerings to provide aid to the victims.
The director of operations for Harvest Bible Chapel in Oakville, Ed Gregorcic, says the proceeds from the special offering taken up at his church would be used to support "organizations already on the ground," who provide not only practical help but who will "share the good news of Jesus Christ."
Calling the hurricane "the worst natural disaster the U.S. has faced in modern history," U.S. ambassador David H. Wilkins said in an open letter to Canada that his country is "profoundly humbled and grateful" for Canadian aid.
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