As the devastating effects from wind, rain and flooding grow in Texas, Louisiana, and beyond, Northwest Adventists have several ways they can help with relief efforts for the areas and people hit hardest. Adventist Community Services (ACS) is collaborating with ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency), the Red Cross, the United Parcel Service and other organizations. They are on the ground serving in a mega-shelter in San Antonio, and negotiations are also underway for ACS to operate multiple warehouses/distribution centers in several places.
To Volunteer Your Time and Experience
Larry Mays, North Pacific Union Conference disaster relief coordinator, says trained volunteers are needed. Have you taken ACS disaster response training in donations operations or crisis intervention, or have feet-on-the-ground experience in an ACS warehouse environment? If so, consider the following:
- Are you willing to serve for a minimum of one week?
- How long?
- When are you available? Note: Teams are being scheduled for weeks and months ahead.
To volunteer or seek additional information on how you can help, contact one of the following local conference ACS coordinators as soon as possible (even if your conference is not listed) since support teams are currently being formed and scheduled.
- Idaho Conference: Donna Cantrell, 208-890-7228
- Montana Conference, Gabriel Laub, 720-560-4763
- Oregon Conference: Laura Pascoe, 503-850-3500
- Upper Columbia Conference: Patty Marsh, 509-838-2761
- Washington Conference: Byron Dulan, 253-681-6008
The American Red Cross is also seeking volunteers, especially those with training from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF). These are trained to provide psychological support in the midst and aftermath of traumatic situations, both for victims and relief workers. For more information about this need, make application with the Red Cross.
To Donate Funds to Help in Our Church’s Relief Efforts
- Make a donation via your local Adventist church labeled “ACS Disaster Response”
- Make a donation by calling 1-800-381-7171
- Make a donation through your local Adventist church for the special North American Division "ACS Hurricane Relief" offering on Sept. 9
- Make an online donation at through AdventistGiving.org for "Adventist Community Services—Hurricane Relief"
- Mail a donation to: Adventist Community Services, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904
To Provide Personal Supplies for Those in Need
If you want to donate on behalf of Hurricane Harvey relief, but don't want to send money, follow the instructions for donating needed supplies at the Adventist Community Services website.
Due to the scope of the flooding damage and lives displaced, relief efforts are going to be "a marathon, not a sprint," as some relief leaders have noted. It is well to reflect and then act upon the words from James 2:15–17. "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
