Texas Baptist Men Send Volunteers to Tornado-Ravaged Little Rock
On Saturday, a dedicated team of disaster relief volunteers from Texas Baptist Men started their journey from Dallas to Little Rock to provide aid and comfort after a deadly tornado rampaged through the city, leaving a trail of devastation. The group’s Director of Disaster Relief, David Wells, expressed that they have been vigilantly monitoring the weather and had volunteers on standby with the equipment ready to go if the need arose.
“We’re always prepared to go, but this morning [Saturday], we’re sending out our first wave,” Wells said.
The initial deployment crew included a command center and a large generator. This weekend will be centered on assessing the damage caused by the tornadoes before additional volunteers arrive next week with power tools and a mobile kitchen. Wells added that chainsaw teams would be arriving on Monday, and this crew going on Saturday will be the first to assess the extent of the damage for the subsequent volunteers.
In Little Rock itself, the damages are extensive, with over 2,000 homes and businesses destroyed or damaged according to the city’s mayor. Texas Baptist Men had just completed an operation in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, when volunteers were again sent on another mission – to serve.
“Even though we’ve seen it countless times, it’s still fresh for us,” Wells said.
As daylight emerged, the path of the tornado became apparent, and city teams began clearing the streets and removing debris. Texas Baptist Men have been quick to respond, and the team is ready and committed to stepping in to assist those who have lost confidence in the face of this tragedy.
“We want to help them. We want to pray for them. We want to give them comfort and confidence that we are there to help them,” said Wells.
In a place where hope may be barely clinging on, the volunteers from Texas Baptist Men aim to serve as a beacon of hope and aid to those in dire need.
“Every time you go on a mission like this, you see the hopelessness and confusion in people’s faces. That’s what drives us. They don’t know where to start with the work,” Wells added.
The volunteers from Texas Baptist Men are heading to Little Rock with the clear objective of bringing aid, support, and solace to its people in their time of need.
