Floods & Fires -- and HELP!

In an eMo earlier this week, Barbara Crafton mentioned Episcopal Relief & Development as a worthy recipient of contributions for aid to people needing help following disasters.  That gives us a particular opening to urge specific contributions toward their Disaster Relief Fund following the flooding in Louisiana.  The flooding was really awful, the worst disaster since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the recovery has just started.

On a Fox News program the other evening, we saw an interview with Tony Perkins, the head of an evangelical Christian organization, the Family Research Council.  I don't know exactly what that group does, and the group's work was not the subject of the interview.  Mr. Perkins was featured that night because he lives in Baton Rouge, and he and his family had had to row away in a canoe from their flooded home.  This put a personal feeling to that whole situation.  They went first to a Baptist church, which was actually too crowded to take them in.  But a member of that congregation took them to his home for shelter.  Then we saw a picture of the campus of Louisiana State University - LSU - immersed in water.  What can you say?

Soon, we got an email from Episcopal Relief, urging gifts toward their relief effort.  We replied the next morning.  We like Episcopal Relief a lot, because they come in the midst of the disaster and then they also hang around to help rebuild too.  With no apology, we urge you to pitch in.  Here's a link: http://www.episcopalrelief.org/. 

Yesterday, we heard again about Episcopal Relief, that they are also working in California with the fires.  They are providing gift cards to people who had to evacuate briefly during the fires themselves or for longer periods because their homes were destroyed.  Our local churches there are providing space for training for people who can provide support in the protracted aftermath: helping the volunteers understand what people feel whose homes have just vanished.

All the more reason to donate.

Or, if you're not Episcopalian, you might think of Samaritan's Purse, which is also doing major work in Louisiana:  https://www.samaritanspurse.org/.  They have teams of volunteers helping with recovery efforts.  Their work was even the subject of a TV commercial asking for donations.  This Billy Graham-founded organization isn't shy about requesting your help for these people.  They sure need it!