Day 22: Updates from the Gulf Coast

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Hurricane Laura & Hurricane Sally banner

WE NEED NEW VOLUNTEERS ON THE GROUND IN ALABAMA

Our volunteers on the ground in Alabama

Our volunteers on the ground in Alabama

HURRICANE SALLY

"Over two days’ time, and in 85+ degree temperatures, a volunteer Lutheran disaster relief organization named Inspiritus descended on my parent’s property like the exact opposite of a biblical plague and voluntarily (FREE OF CHARGE) completed what might’ve been over $25K worth of tree cutting and removal. This is an amazing example of how we all want humans to be. I cannot thank these people and this organization enough for doing for us what we were unable to do for ourselves."

- Aaron Cockson

We have a huge need for volunteers in Alabama. Home damages extend across Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Daphne, Dauphin Island, and Baldwin County. Volunteers who've served 3-4 weeks between Hurricane Laura and Sally will begin going home next Tuesday, so we need new volunteers to work through October 22nd ASAP. Please join us!

Want to see what volunteering on a disaster response mission is like?
Click on the following link to watch: A day In the life of a volunteer

In Alabama so far, our disaster response volunteer teams have completed:

  • 750 volunteer hours

  • 133 volunteer days

  • 55 home assessments

  • 19 homes are now ready for work

  • 10 homes are underway now

  • 33 job requests have been completed

"Inspiritus volunteers are doing an incredible job. They've gone from working in Louisiana to Alabama. After weeks of working, they're tired. We need a new wave of volunteers to join them."

-John Boettner
Southeastern Synod Disaster Ministry Committee
Shepherd of the Hills, Birmingham, AL.

Our sincerest thanks and gratitude go out to The Island Church in Orange Beach for housing and staging, The Rothrock Foundation for generously providing meals, and the St. Clair Baptist Association and the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief (SBC Disaster Relief) for laundry services.

A huge thank you goes out to The City of Orange Beach today. They just brought in a 100 gallon tank of gas to our Island Church camp, to keep equipment and vehicles fueled and ready to do more work in Baldwin County.

The damages from this latest hurricane will be felt for months and years to come, but with your help and new volunteers, we can get more hurricane survivors back on the path from surviving to thriving.

Damage to a home in Orange Beach, AL

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We're working closely with the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA to support communities most in need of our assistance. Gifts to the ELCA Southeastern Synod Disaster Response will be used to support disaster relief on the ground, as well. The partnership between the Southeastern Synod and Inspiritus leverages the strengths and resources each bring to the table for the benefit of individuals and communities in need of hope and healing in the wake of a disaster.

Those we're serving are experiencing multiple disasters at the same time: COVID-19 and Hurricane Sally. Through your generosity and support, we're bringing hope to the people who need it most. Thank you for your donations. If you haven't given yet, please consider giving today. Your help during the early days of a disaster is critical.

To learn more about volunteering with this response, please register here.

If you can't join us in person, you can still be one of our "Home Heroes" by fundraising for us. It's so quick & easy, start fundraising now and share your campaign within minutes to your family and friends. If you'd like help setting up your campaign, please email Sarah.Burke@weinspirit.org for a consultation.

It costs approximately $50 per day to make sure our volunteer housing and vehicles are fogged and sanitized daily, and our volunteers have the PPE equipment they need to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Could you please sponsor our volunteers for a day, to help keep them safe?

Help at this stage ensures unserved communities impacted by Hurricane Sally will receive free roof tarping, muck and gut services, debris removal, and spontaneous volunteer leadership. We will continue to share updates from the ground as our teams assist those impacted by Hurricane Sally.

Please join us in prayer for the volunteers and local residents along the Gulf Coast.

Gratefully,
Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development
Inspiritus

Our Hurricane Laura Response is made possible through the above partnerships.

Our Hurricane Laura Response is made possible through the above partnerships.